


And they were Roommates!

by boomturkey



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Post-Time Skip, Quarantine, Roommates, Slow Burn, smut in chapter 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 43,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24003418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomturkey/pseuds/boomturkey
Summary: When the quarantine hits Japan, Hinata fears he might just go feral if he has to stay in his tiny apartment for the duration. Enter Atsumu, offering Hinata a place to stay with a yard and a home gym. Can they tolerate each other as roommates? And will they find love in the time of quarantine? (Yes.)Or,That quarantine fanfic every ship in every fandom needs right now.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 308
Kudos: 2157





	1. Shelter in Place

“The season is cancelled?” Hinata and Bokuto gasped in horror simultaneously. It’d have been funny if it weren’t for the fact that the situation was so dire.

“That’s right, and if you’d let me finish,” Meian said, looking at his teammates expectantly. Bokuto and Hinata settled back down, equal looks of consternation on their faces. Meian watched the rest of the Black Jackals, trying hard to keep his worry from his face “This will be the last time we’re meeting as a team-” At the alarmed looks passing over Hinata and Bokuto’s faces, Meian finished hurriedly “-In person. Until the pandemic is over”

Bokuto and Hinata were working themselves up again, it’s why they had been separated in the first place during team meetings, both of them encouraging the others’ tendency to be rowdy. Hinata and Bokuto were positioned on opposite sides of the gathered group of men, and even still they always seemed to have a psychic link when it came to being excitable. It was Atsumu who spoke first this time “But what about practice?”

Everyone froze, staring at Meian, who had been hoping his teammates had seen the news from this morning, but apparently not. It was Sakusa’s voice that cut in, having called in on video chat from Hinata’s phone “All gymnasiums, sport facilities, public recreation centers, community and municipal use buildings, parks, playgrounds, art galleries...” He was obviously reading from a list online “Are all closed until further notice to prevent the spread of covid-19”

Sakusa had not been to practice once since the announcement of the first confirmed case hitting Japan’s shores. Leading up to that moment he had been religiously following news coming out from China, plotting his own infection curve from the numbers provided and updating his team daily. Everyone had thought Sakusa was overreacting, that he was once again taking things too seriously. Now they stood in a circle staring at each other, wishing they had listened to prophet Sakusa when he said this was going to be bad. At the very least they could have stocked up on provisions like Sakusa had, who had a carefully maintained three month supply of food and sundries at his apartment.

Meian sighed, clapping his hands to bring attention back to himself, breaking through the dinn of whispers breaking out amongst his team “That is correct. We will not be having practice for the duration of the pandemic for the safety of each other and our community. Barnes, Tomas and Coach Foster have already boarded flights to go back to their home countries” Meian proceeded to explain the expectations the team had for each player, that they were to follow shelter in place but that their top priority should be the health and well being of themselves and their family. “If you need to travel to find a place to weather out this pandemic I suggest that you leave no later than today, as it is still unclear how the rail system and public transportation are going to be impacted going forward” Voices once again broke out as the team started discussing what they would do, what they still needed doing, and Bokuto, ever the optimist began planning digital hangouts for the team to help them get through this together.

Hinata sucked in a breath, and began to gnaw on his lip. Stay at home, stay at home, stay at home... Dammit. Hinata was still living in the shoebox apartment he’d moved into when he first joined the Black Jackals almost three years ago now. It was a 9ft x 9ft room with space enough for his bed, a set of drawers, a low bedside table that he used as his regular table, his tv, and the tiny little kitchenette in the corner. And the shared bathroom outside his front door and down the hallway. This setup had been fine for the way Hinata lived his life. He was a social person with friends everywhere so he only ever really slept there. Most days if he wasn’t playing or practicing volleyball, he was at the park meeting friends, running errands, training at his local gym with friends he had made there, hitting the public bathhouse, going for food with friends. Honestly Hinata’s life kind of revolved around volleyball and going outside and seeing his people and meeting new people. He wasn’t designed for social isolation without something to stimulate him.

He’d meant to find a new place. Atsumu and Bokuto made fun of him for how tiny the shoebox was, Sakusa refused to even come see it when he learned Hinata’s bathroom was shared with 10 other tenants who lived on his floor. Hinata had even gone so far as to view a couple of places, but found each of them lacking in some way. The problem was, he was a country boy at heart, he was used to wide open spaces. His mother's house in Miyagi had been relatively small in size, but with a decent yard and access to large wooded mountains right outside his front door. And then he’d lived in Rio where he could open his patio door and walk right out onto the beach anytime he wanted. Hinata wasn’t meant for enclosed spaces.

Sure his shoebox was pretty cramped, but it had been all he could afford when he’d returned to Japan. The houses he wanted, like the one Atsumu had inherited from his great uncle, were at a super high price point in Tokyo. Which was agony really. A house with a yard the size Hinata could live with was about eight times more expensive here than it would be in Sendai, let alone in his hometown. So he’d made a promise to himself, he’d continue living in the shitty shoebox until he could afford the down payment on a better house, or some place with like a rooftop patio or something, he didn’t know. It’s not like he spent his days at the shoebox, it was nothing more than a storage closet that had a bed. And a place to store his snacks.

He would not survive a week in the shoebox by himself with nowhere to go, let alone a few months like health officials were predicting. Meian had said that they could travel to go stay somewhere, he could go stay with his Mom and Natsu... But Natsu had called him yesterday enraged because their mom had invited “the boyfriend” to stay with them for the duration of the pandemic. The Hinata siblings wanted to be happy for their mother finally dating again after so many years of working hard to support them, but the boyfriend was a real ‘mans-man’ and was kind of insufferable to be around. He was a bit condescending to Natsu, treating her like she was much younger than she was, but she could easily brush that off. No, she despised the boyfriend out of solidarity with her brother.

At new years when Hinata had been home visiting, the boyfriend had gotten into a conversation with Hinata about what he did. In the span of a few sentences he managed to refer to Hinata’s career and lifelong dream as “a hobby”, said volleyball “wasn’t a real sport” unlike baseball, and that it seemed to be filled with “all those jumping fairies”, the implication being that only queer men played volleyball. Hinata being a professional volleyball player, with lots of professional volleyball player friends, and who he himself happened to be very gay, had been more than a little offended.

He had explained to his mother what had happened, and she’d been embarrassed and apologetic, made the boyfriend apologize, and explained to him that this was a family that accepted and loved each other for who they were. The boyfriend had made a lot of positive sounds at that, but then demonstrated his “support” by pointing at various men in the street, or on TV and asking if Hinata found them hot.

No, going back home would result in Hinata committing homicide, and then he’d never get to play volleyball again. Hinata tilted his head back in despair. He could already see himself becoming a feral, anti-social monster who was so touch starved he would bite the first person who looked at him by the end of this. Maybe he could find someone to bunk up with...? He swept a glance over his team, before looking down at the phone clutched in his hands. Sakusa was still on the call, looking off screen.

Hinata stepped away from the team, shuffling over to the wall, turning away from the group so he’d be less conspicuous “Hey Omi-san?” He called softly, getting Sakusa to look over at him, a slight wrinkle in his brow. He said something, realized he’d muted his mic and he tapped the screen.

“Yes Shouyou-san?” After a second he added “What’s wrong?” Hinata sometimes hated the way his face was an open book, or how he was so consistent the second he didn’t behave as expected people knew something was off.

Hinata gave a grimacing smile “Well...” He glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one could hear “I was wondering if I could maybe move in with you during the pandemic?” Hinata was about to detail all the ways he could help with rent, with cooking, with entertainment, but Sakusa cut him off at the head.

“Absolutely not”

Hinata smiled nervously “Please?” And then Sakusa began listing all the ways in which it would be a terrible idea, concerns about cross contamination, there being only one bathroom, how there was no space for Hinata to quarantine for 14 days before he and Sakusa could interact, concerns about laundry, that his reserves couldn’t also feed someone with Hinata’s appetite, and on and on. And then he started to lecture Hinata about living in his shoebox apartment, hadn’t Sakusa said Hinata would rue the day an emergency hit and he wasn’t able to leave? It was true, Sakusa had actually mentioned that more than once in the last two years, and he was really turning out to be a pandemic prophet all things considered.

“Now do you understand why I don’t want you here?” Sakusa said, not un-empathetically.

Hinata bit his lip, a bit crestfallen and nodded “Yeah-”

Sakusa sighed, feeling maybe, just a little, bad. Of all the Black Jackals he’d have put Hinata at the top of the list of people to move in with him. The Black Jackals were relatively low on his list overall, but Hinata was at the top, maybe top 10 of everyone at least. “Why don’t you try asking-”

“Oh hey, is that Hinata-san?” Komori asked brightly, peaking at the camera over Sakusa’s shoulder. Over Sakusa’s shoulder in Sakusa’s apartment. Which apparently didn’t have enough room for Hinata. But had plenty enough room for Komori. “Hi Hinata-san!” Komori said brightly, waving. Sakusa’s face had gone slack before flushing bright red.

Hinata pressed his lips together in a facsimile of a smile “Hi Komori-san” he said strained.

Sakusa shoved Komori out of the way and looking at Hinata a bit embarrassed he said “Good luck, send the team my best”

“Mhmm” Hinata said, a tight smile still plastered over his face. And then Sakusa hung up.

After a moment Hinata jammed his phone into his pocket and then ruffled his own hair in agitation “So stingy” He whined, not really sore about Sakusa’s choice, Komori had been his friend for longer after all, just frustrated at his continued situation which was looking more dire by the minute.

“Who’s stingy?” Bokuto asked from behind him, making Hinata jump. Hinata’s hair, which was always a bit unruly to begin with, was now sticking out at a dozen odd angles. Bokuto might have said his mentee kind of looked like Kuroo on bad hair days.

Hinata turned, a new strategy forming in his mind lightning quick, there was no way Bokuto or Akaashi would say no to him living at their place for the next few weeks. They loved him. They were kind of like his secret, barely older than him dads. Not that Hinata would ever say that out loud to Bokuto, who would take his new role too seriously and start telling people to be nicer to his ‘son’.

Hinata grinned brightly “Bokuto!” and then lightning quick his brain produced his prior history of living with Akaashi and Bokuto. When he’d first moved to Tokyo after Rio, before tryouts for the Black Jackals, they had been kind enough to give him a couch to crash on. And it had been so nice, the two of them showing Hinata the sights around Tokyo, taking him out to their favorite restaurants. Talking about life’s mysteries and volleyball. It had been great, Hinata made an excellent third wheel to their established relationship.

However the setup had not been without its problems. Their apartment wasn’t very big, just a one bedroom plus small den for Akaashi’s office, so Hinata had constantly felt like he was underfoot. Then there’d been the fighting. They didn’t fight constantly, far from it, but when they did and Hinata was around Akaashi would say things like “You don’t want to disappoint Shouyou-san” or “That’s setting a really bad example for Shouyou-san” and Bokuto would fire back with “I’m sure Shou agrees with me”. Being a prop in their arguments hadn’t been exactly fun, but worst of all had been just how much sex the two of them had. It was constant. In the morning, at night, several times on weekends. And they thought they were being so coy and casual about it, as if their walls weren’t made of paper. Or that it wasn’t extremely obvious what was happening when Bokuto would get up and stretch and disappear into the bedroom, and then Akaashi’s phone would buzz a minute later, and then he’d stretch and disappear into the bedroom too. Akaashi might seem like a calm and reserved guy, but Hinata knew exactly what he sounded like when he orgasmed, and knew that definitely wasn’t the case. He’d had trouble looking Akaashi in the eye for a while even after he moved out. Bokuto was just as noisy as you’d expect him to be.

In the end they’d actually been the reason Hinata had hurriedly found the shoebox apartment, unable to bear living with his two very good friends, who he loved very much, anymore. If he’d just held out another month, or found a couch to surf on, he’d have received his first paycheck after going pro and he could have afforded a bigger place with it’s own bathroom. But alas.

There was no fucking way he was going to live with Akaashi and Bokuto, as much as he loved them, he’d rather go feral. “Omi-san wants to wish us all good luck and that we stay healthy for the course of this pandemic,” Hinata said brightly, giving a little peace sign. He watched as most of the rest of his team started drifting out of the gym, waving their goodbyes, and wishing each other goodluck. All that were left were himself, Bokuto, and Atsumu and Meian talking off to the side.

Bokuto grinned “That’s nice of him. I wish I could have said bye to Omi-Omi before he hung up” He said with a pout, making Hinata’s stomach clench with guilt. Pulling Sakusa off to the side to talk had been kind of rude of him hadn’t it? “So I was talking with Akaashi...” Bokuto started, a grin spreading wide across his face.

“Mmm?”

“Yeah, and we figure it’d be cool if you came to live with us during the pandemic. Like the three amigos again, like when you first moved to Tokyo” Bokuto said with finger guns.

Hinata’s smile was a bit more tense than he intended “Ah, I don’t want to impose” He said, bringing his hands up.

Bokuto grinned “You? Impose? I don’t know the meaning of the word!” He grinned waiting for a laugh, Hinata obliged him with a half hearted chuckle “We’d be happy to have you there, it’d probably help us from getting too stir crazy having you around” Bokuto looked hopeful.

Hinata felt like an ass, and was so close to giving in, but then recalled the time he’d walked into their apartment unexpectedly early, after a dinner date with friends got canceled, and found the two of them going at it on the couch Hinata had been sleeping on for the last two weeks. He’d quietly left and sat at a cafe for an hour in mute horror at what he’d seen, then returned to find the couch made up for him to sleep on as if nothing had happened.

Hinata blinked “It’s very kind of you to offer, but I’ll be alright” He gave his sunniest grin.

Bokuto looked a bit dubious “Are you sure? We were kind of worried about you in that tiny apartment”

Hinata nodded “Mhmm, I’ll be fine. I’m working on a plan!” He said airly, giving what he hoped was a reassuring thumbs up. Bokuto shrugged, gave him an oooookaaaayy, and loudly said his goodbyes to the others, before walking out of the gym.

Hinata gathered his things, fiddling with the zipper on his bag, trying to think of some reason to stay at the gym a little longer. He was going to miss this place, which felt more like his home than any other place on earth. He wasn’t going to cry, Atsumu wouldn’t let him hear the end of it. He sat on the ground tying the laces on his outdoor shoes, peeking at Atsumu and Meian who were still in conversation. He wished he could ask either of them to live at their places. Both men were the only people on the team to own houses with a yard. But Meian had a toddler and a 6 month old baby at home and he and his wife would have their hands full just looking after them. And Atsumu... Well Atsumu was pretty obnoxious about his pronouncement that he loved living by himself, that he’d never get a roommate, living with other people was the worst. He didn’t even like inviting people over if he could avoid it. Hinata told him once that made him look like a serial killer which Atsumu had just given him a vicious smile in response and said “Good”.

He’d once explained it to Hinata after too many beers that he’d had to share everything with Osamu, clothes, books, rooms, sports, everything while they were growing up. Every time they went anywhere there was always the assumption that the Miya twins would just share. We booked team hotel rooms? Well of course Atsumu and Osamu would just share a bed! Osamu wanted this, so obviously so did Atsumu. Going and playing volleyball professionally had been the first time he’d ever had his own space and his own place that was just for him and he kind of over corrected and is now very defensive of his personal space, on the off chance that someone might try to take it away from him.

Hinata thought that was a little nuts, but then Natsu was almost a full decade younger than him, so they hadn’t shared much really when they were kids. He’d asked Osamu about it, and he’d just laughed “Or no one wants to live with him because his personality is bad” Hinata thought maybe Osamu had some insight there. Atsumu was his friend, maybe his best friend on the team, but he was also kind of a jerk most of the time.

Taking a deep breath, he patted the wood floors of the gymnasium fondly, saying a silent goodbye, before putting a skip in his step to leave, pretending like he’d be coming back here tomorrow “Seeya later Atsumu-san! Meian-san! Good luck and stay healthy!” He called over his shoulder. He didn’t wait for their responses. He just kept skipping down the street knowing full well the next time he saw this place he was going to have gone absolutely feral from social isolation.

\--

He chickened out halfway to the train station, afraid of going home. He kept imagining the walls were going to suck him up inside and not let him out for four months. Which was effectively true, wasn’t it? He didn’t have anywhere to store food in his apartment, just having a tiny bar fridge to put eggs and cheese and milk, and a cabinet filled with spices and a few canned goods. His rice pot at home was shitty, and the gas burner he used consumed gas too fast so he had to replace it often. He was going to starve before he went mad.

To calm himself down he climbed a nearby jungle gym in an abandoned playground, sitting on the top bar. Sometimes being high helped him clear his thoughts, got his brain juices flowing faster. He’d have gone for a run, but then he’d have trouble scrolling through his contact list, trying to find anybody who could take him in.

Yachi...? No, she had that boyfriend she was living with who was really quite threatened by his and Yachi’s friendship. Tadashi? No, he was working overseas right now. Tanaka and Kiyoko? No they were pregnant, expecting in a few months, he’d just be in the way. Hyakuzawa? No he’d gotten married in December, and Hinata would feel bad inserting himself into their lives. Tsukki- Hinata snorted a laugh before he could finish the thought. They’d kill each other within a week, even if Tsukki lived in a palace and they never had to see each other. Suga? Daichi? Ennoshita? Everyone of his friends had some reason or other they couldn’t help. Or that Hinata didn’t want to ask, because they’d bend over backwards to help him, no matter the inconvenience. He’d have called Kenma in a heartbeat but Kuroo had flown back to Japan because of the pandemic and was staying there, and Hinata did not want to step into whatever the hell was happening there. Part of him worried about an AkaBoku situation, and part of him worried they’d end up in some kinky polyamourous thing that Hinata would only engage in out of intense boredom and ruin his relationship with one of his best friends.

Hinata sighed, his face pressing into his hands, before he ruffled his hair again in frustration “Augh!”

“Y’alright there Shouyou-kun?” Hinata looked down to find Atsumu staring up at him in amused concern.

Hinata sat up, placing his hands on either side of him, gripping the bar he sat on “Yup!” He said, falsely bright.

Atsumu just looked at him skeptically, an amused tilt still sitting on his lips “Uh huh. Anyways,” He stuffed his hands into his pockets, “Y’know it kinda looks to me like yer killin time so you don’t have to go to your shitbox”

Hinata scowled down at him “Don’t say shit. I told you already, it’s a shoebox”

Atsumu ignored that comment “Mhmm, anyways. I wanted to talk to ya” He looked at Hinata expectantly, before squinting his eyes “Ya mind coming down here?”

Hinata gripped the bars extra tight, pursing his lips. If he went down that was the first step back towards his shoebox sized prison, but if he stayed here, he’d be rude to his favorite setter in the world. Sighing dramatically he leapt the near half storey down to the ground, landing in the sand with a dull thud, going into a low squat to absorb the impact, before popping back up. “What’s up?” He asked.

Atsumu was wearing a full grimace “The heck are your knees made of, rubber or somethin’?”

Hinata looked at the height he’d jumped from, shrugging “That’s barely taller than I can already jump. And this is sand, not hard concrete” he said stomping his feet to demonstrate. “What did you want to talk about?”

Atsumu still looked a bit uncomfortable, but he sucked in a breath “I wanted to talk to you about your shitb-” He paused, seeing Hinata’s look “err, shoebox. Look, we both know you’re not gonna be okay in there by yourself” Hinata pressed his lips together, incapable of disagreeing.

“And I’m guessing you don’t have alternate plans, based on you hanging out in a playground like some sort of creep”

Hinata tsked at him, crossing his arms “I’ve had offers to stay places” Place. He’d had an offer to stay in one place. His mom would certainly offer if she knew what his place looked like, so he was counting it as at least two. Therefore, places.

“Yeah, you seem real intent on jumping on them” Atsumu said dryly, Hinata once again found he couldn’t disagree. Stupid obervant Atsumu. “It’d be a real shame if you went crazy by yourself before we got to play some more volleyball, and really I need someone to practice with, keep me honest and shit. Or at least someone to try and compete against, and I figure you’d probably be a good choice as any” Atsumu’s face was getting a little flushed, his hands out as he explained himself. He got embarrassed so easily, Hinata had always thought it was kind of cute. Despite however he thought of himself, Atsumu made for a terrible cool guy.

Hinata was staring up at him blankly “What exactly are you saying?”

Atsumu looked at him like he was kinda dumb, but in like, and endearing way. Hinata scowled at him “Do you wanna come live at my house with me during this shit?” He waved his hand in the air, inferring ‘this shit’ was everywhere.

Hinata stared at Atsumu openly for a few moments too long, the taller man looking like he was regretting the offer already “But you hate living with other people” Hinata observed.

“Sure” Atsumu agreed “but it’s a big house” He shrugged. It wasn’t that big. It was two floors, open concept main floor, with a small yard and an attached garage.

“You told Suna-san that he couldn’t stay over at your house when he visited ‘cause there was no room” Hinata pointed out.

Atsumu quirked his mouth in something almost like annoyance “Yea’ but Rintan makes messes and always steals my best food” he said by way of explaining.

“What if I eat your best food and make messes?” Hinata asked, cautious about being kicked out in the middle of a pandemic.

Atsumu gave him a ‘What the fuck dude’ look, before hunching his shoulders in irritation “I don’t know, clean up after yerself, it’s not like ya have anywhere else to go, and share yer best food with me too?”

Hinata thought about this a moment, which seemed to make Atsumu lose his patience more “Have you ever had a roommate before?” He finally asked.

Atsumu was giving Hinata a flat stare, “Yeah, obviously. ‘Samu-”

“Since you’ve been a grown up? Not family?” Hinata would look down his nose at Atsumu if he could. Here at least he was miles more experienced, thinking of his dear sweet Pedro. He wished he’d stayed on top of the jungle gym.

“No?”

“Because it’s different, and we might get on each other’s nerves, so we need to have a system in place to make sure we don’t kill each other” Hinata told him matter of factly. He and Pedro had few ground rules, but that had worked for them in the end. Both being friendly people once they figured out common grounds. Hinata was a pro at finding common grounds with everyone.

Atsumu was full on irritated now. He threw up his hands “Do ya wanna live in yer shitbox or somethin’?” His accent always came out more heavily when he was pissed.

“No!” Hinata said sharply, lunging forward to grab Atsumu’s wrist, as if to prevent him from removing the offer from the hypothetical table. “I don’t want to live in my shoebox during the quarantine” Hinata finished softly.

Atsumu was staring at where Hinata had grabbed hold of his wrist, a look of surprise on his face, before he used his other hand to extricate himself from Hinata’s grip, rubbing it idly. Hinata hadn’t thought he’d grabbed him that hard “Okay then” Atsumu said, clearing his throat “Why don’t you come live with me then?”

Hinata sucked his lower lip into his mouth, thinking about it. If nothing else, Atsumu had a yard, he could be outside and be safe while he did his morning meditations. Also food storage, sweet merciful food storage. Hinata looked up at Atsumu, who had been watching him intently “Yeah! Okay!” And then remembering himself, he hopped back, moving into a bow “Thank you very much for offering”

When he looked up Atsumu, he was wearing a sly grin “Maybe I should start making you call me Atsumu-sama for saving yer butt, eh?”

Hinata whapped him in the stomach with the back of his hand, making Atsumu oof, before walking past him “C’mon, you can help me pack up my shoebox. There’s some stuff I’ll need to bring over if I’m going to be there for a few months” He stopped to turn after a few steps, realizing his friend wasn’t following him “Atsumu-san?”

Atsumu had a blank expression on his face, staring off into space “A few months...?” He muttered to himself. Hinata called his name again, which made Atsumu seem to come back to himself. He gave a sheepish grin, before trotting after Hinata.

Hinata began outlining what he thought they should consider for splitting costs, and how they could be the best roommates possible for each other. Atsumu just nodded along following his lead.

\--

“Do you mind grabbing anything from the kitchen you think we could use at your place?” Hinata threw over his shoulder as he bent down to look under his bed for his old travelling backpack that had come with him to Rio, and the small carry-on suitcase Nice had bought him before he left. He began tossing clothes and shoes and some books and his Switch and the old laptop Kenma had given him haphazardly into the bag, not wanting to make Atsumu wait.

Atsumu was standing in his “kitchen” surveying Hinata’s provisions. They could take the rice, and he had eggs in the fridge, but otherwise the place was sparse. He had no idea how Hinata ate here, given that he’d seen his teammate pack away a ton of food at meals before. Atsumu peeked over at Hinata who was digging through his drawers, pulling out clothes and stuffing them into a bag. “And store them in what? A coin purse?” Atsumu asked dryly, Hinata looked up to give him an amused eye roll, before bending back down to continue his work. Atsumu grinned to himself, pleased. He bent down to examine what was in the low cabinet against the wall.

Seeing Atsumu was distracted, Hinata surreptitiously grabbed the little opaque cloth bag (there were cartoon foxes on it) tucked on the hidden shelf behind his headboard, smoothly stuffing it into his bag. He really hoped that didn’t explode on the way over, there was nothing worse than washing unexpected lube out of a bunch of your clothes.

He’d warred with himself on the walk back from the train to his place about whether or not he should grab his little bag of condoms and lube. One, he didn’t want Atsumu to ask what it was. And two, it felt weird to bring condoms with him, like he had pervy expectations or something, but figured it’d be hard to get the bottle of lube out of the bag without Atsumu seeing. He really really didn’t want to spend the next couple of months jerking off with nothing but his own spit, he invested in high quality water based lube for a reason. Like the grown up that he was. And he really didn’t want to go through what he had with Pedro in Rio, where Pedro had been scandalized when he’d been going through shared receipts for groceries and found the charge for lube. Hinata had gotten a lecture about was and wasn't appropriate for shared expenses on his grocery bills. Really Hinata had been too lazy at the time to take the lube out and ask the clerk to ring up two purchases, but he’d been more careful after that.

Atsumu didn’t seem the type to make an itemized list of what shopping items, comparing costs, and who ate what, especially based on their conversation on the train, but Hinata just wanted to be careful. Lest he be dubbed a sex fiend, and like he avoided staying with Bokuto and Akaashi, people started to avoid him too. It’s not like he’d do it while Atsumu was awake, or while he was in the house. It’d be like living at home with his mom and Natsu again, shameful, sureptitious maturbation. It was an excellent physical release, especially if he was going to just have a constant buildup of nervous energy in the coming months. What Atsumu didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him. And it’s not like Hinata’s dick was his business.

* * *

_June 21, 2019_

_Atsumu is squinting down at him. Hinata sets down his drink “What?” He’s feeling the telltale warmth of alcohol buzzing through his system, putting him in an excellent mood. He was drunk. It was his birthday. And he was surrounded by friends._

_Atsumu tips his beer bottle to gesture around the room “How many of these dudes have ya slept with?” There’s a slight slur to his words, signalling that Atsumu is also a bit drunk. Hinata glances around the houseparty from his vantage point on the couch and recognizes at least eight men he’s been with since he returned to Japan last year. He chooses to feign innocence._

_Hinata gives him a teasing grin, his face feeling warm “I’ve pretty much slept on everyone’s couch here, at some point Atsumu-san” He gives his friend a wink._

_Atsumu rolls his eyes, pressing his hand into Hinata’s hair and giving it a ruffle “Ya know that’s not what I meant”_

_Hinata laughs, batting his hand away “Well do you mean cuddle in bed, smooched in bed or,” And here he pauses to look up at Atsumu seriously “Banged in bed?”_

_Atsumu tips his head back to laugh, even though it’s not very funny, but the way he said it was enough to make drunk Atsumu giggle. Hinata allows himself a moment to revel in his friends' laughter. It’s his favorite in the whole world._

* * *

Shoving the last of his things he thought he’d need into his bag, he pulled the drawstring, and then buckled it, before tossing it onto his back. Atsumu had found a reusable cotton bag and had stuffed Hinata’s limited pantry items into it “Ready to go?” Atsumu asked.

“Yup” Hinata chirped, his BJ sports bag in one hand, the carry-on in the other, and his travel backpack slung across his back. He moved to pass Atsumu on the way to the door, but a long arm stretched out in front of him, blocking him. Hinata stared blankly at it, and then up at the arm’s owner. “What?”

Atsumu’s outstretched hand made a grabby motion “Wouldn’t be very gentlemanly like fer me to let you carry everything, now would it?”

Hinata snorted, but handed him the lighter of the two bags, and they both exited the apartment. Hinata locked up, patting the door “Bye shoebox, don’t be lonely” And then turned to walk down the hall.

Atsumu was giving him a funny look, which Hinata returned, but Atsumu just shook his head, and called over his shoulder “Later Shitbox, seeya never” And he stuck out his tongue.

Hinata gave a scandalized laugh, hopping up to hip check Atsumu, not factoring his added weight with the bag strapped to his back, he smacked Atsumu hard into the wall. “What th’ fuck Shouyou!?” Hinata meeped and took off down the hall, Atsumu running after him “Ye coulda broken the eggs!” But there was laughter in his voice as he chased down his new roommate.


	2. Stay at Home

“So this is where you’ll be sleeping,” Atsumu says, leading Hinata up the stairs. On the left, offset from Hinata’s new bedroom, closer to the staircase, is the bathroom door. On the right through the open door is where Hinata will be sleeping, and at the end of the hall is Atsumu’s room, the door ajar. Hinata can see the corner of a made up western bed. Atsumu makes the bed, good to know.

Hinata peeks around Atsumu and looks into the room where he is going to be staying for the next few months. He blinks, taking in the sight of a halfway decent home gym. Weights, mats for stretching, a skipping rope, plyometric bands, and a large mirror were set about the room. “Nice” Hinata says, a grin spreading across his face.

Atsumu looks down at him, surprised “What? Nice ‘cause you like to tidy up rooms to sleep in?”

Hinata stepped into the room, squatting down to take in the variety of weights occupying the rack “Nah, just that you have a home gym. I was worried I was going to have to start lifting rice sacks or something” Hinata says, smiling over his shoulder at Atsumu. “Thanks again for inviting me stay, this is already a billion times better than my place”

“I mean, I’m sorry it’s not ready for guests”

Hinata turns to him confused “No I mean, this is great. I’d have slept on concrete if it meant I had a decent place train while we’re stuck at home”

Atsumu leans against the doorframe, looking at Hinata thoughtfully “You really are kind of nuts, aren’t you?” He said it in the same way someone might observe you like the colour blue because you wear it everyday.

Hinata smiles, putting his hands on his hips, surveying the room “Yup!” He gives Atsumu a teasing grin, to let him know he was only kind of joking “So I’ll sleep on the yoga mats then?” Hinata gestures to the purple mat, rolled up near his feet.

Atsumu looks at him like he’s stupid “No, obviously not. I have a spare futon somewhere” He shakes his head “You need to help me get this stuff to the garage, so you actually have a place to sleep”

Hinata, who had picked up a kettlebell to test its weight, clutched the weight to his chest with a whump “But the gym!” He cried, stricken.

Atsumu snorts a laugh, shaking his head “Yeah, and we can set it up in the garage, ‘s not like I have a car. There’s nothin’ in there but old tools and spiders”

Relieved, Hinata let the kettlebell swing down, and he bent to pick up another weight, perfectly happy to help if the gym wasn’t being taken away. Atsumu did the same, tucking a yoga mat under his arm for good measure. They walked down the stairs, taking a left at the bottom to go into the garage. Atsumu nudged the door open, holding it with his foot for Hinata, who walked in looking around with interest. It really was pretty barren. The garage at his mom's place was filled with dozens of plastic containers holding clothing and bedding that was off season, holiday knick knacks, old school projects, and old dusty sporting equipment she could never bring herself to throw away. This place was just a big concrete room with a toolbox in the corner. Atsumu hadn’t exaggerated.

“Do you have your license?’ Hinata asks casually, making conversation as he sets down the weights where Atsumu indicated before following him back inside for their next load.

“Nope, don’t need one”

“Really?” Hinata asked “Didn’t you grow up on a beef farm?” He bumps into Atsumu’s back, who’d stopped to glower down at him just as he’d been about to climb the stairs.

“I grew up in Kobe” He says, at Hinata’s blank expression “The city. D’ya think that everyone who grows up in Hyougo are automatically beef farmers?” At Hinata’s expression Atsumu rolls his eyes “Unbelievable” and makes his way upstairs again.

“I have my license” Hinata offered genially, but was obviously trying to score a point over Atsumu. They did this pretty regularly. Who’s been to more places? Atsumu. Who can speak more languages? Hinata. Who is more flexible? A tie depending on how you measure flexibility. (Atsumu’s fingers and shoulders were kind of freaky but Hinata had been practicing advanced yoga for years now.) Who is funnier? Each of them thinks it’s themselves and Bokuto will not break that tie for them.

“Do you now?” Atsumu asked, picking up the heaviest weights in the room and looking down at Hinata smugly. Hinata scrunched up his face at him, stacking the rest of the mats, the skipping rope, and the stretchy bands, his eyes blazing defiantly at Atsumu. They were going to be done way faster than they ought to be by virtue of being competitive little shits.

“Mhmm, I think they’ll kick you out of Miyagi if you don’t have your license by the time you’re 17” Hinata said, determinedly not struggling at all with the too large stack in front of him down the stairs.

After they’d deposited this load, Atsumu looks at Hinata thoughtfully “Does that mean Tobio-kun has his?” He didn’t know if that should make him very afraid or not.

Hinata’s grin turned vicious, Atsumu having touched on one of his favorite Kageyama facts. He leaned in close like he was divulging a big secret “Kageyama failed the road test twice, the second time so bad they wouldn’t let him retake it for a year” And by then Kageyama had been off to the Adlers, and just never got back around to it.

Hinata and Atsumu had a pretty good laugh at Kageyama’s expense, their momentary rivalry forgotten as they engaged in one of their favorite pastimes, recounting embarrassing Kageyama stories. They finished cleaning out the workout room, now Hinata’s room, in record time.

Atsumu left Hinata to start unpacking his things as he went into the basement to go find the spare futon, some extra blankets and a pillow, and hopefully maybe some containers Hinata could put his clothes in. Hinata had offered to go instead, but Atsumu had gotten weirdly cagey, physically blocking the entrance to the basement, saying he’d rather go himself.

“He’s definitely a serial killer” Hinata sniffed, starting to take out his things and folding them, sorting them into piles.

Overall the set up was pretty good here, and Hinata was pretty confident they wouldn’t feel like they were constantly tripping over each other. At least not at first. Hinata had figured out pretty early on in their friendship that Atsumu was one of those introverted extroverts, who seemed like he’d be infinitely charming, when he wasn’t being rude, and could be the life of the party. But in actual fact he preferred quiet nights in, watching movies and reading, or hanging out with smaller groups of people. Or more likely you could find him at any number of local gymnasiums practicing his serves and tosses. Hinata was the polar opposite, thriving mostly when he was surrounded by people. He was the exact type of person who could walk into a room where he didn’t know a single soul, and walk out with dozens of new friends. Hinata imagined that these differences might end up grating on Atsumu at some point, but Hinata would do his best to mitigate it. He was a guest after all.

At least they had rooms with doors they could shut. The rest of the house was nicely spaced out too. The entryway opened up into the main room where he had a couch, a low table, and a console with a TV, bracketed by a couple of bookcases. Walking through the mainroom took you to the double patio doors, which led out to the little back garden, with a small wooden veranda that Hinata knew was going to be the perfect place to do his morning meditation. From the main entrance you could access the galley kitchen, with accompanying bar stools as the table for the room. The kitchen felt 1000 times larger than his own tiny kitchenette, and had a full size western fridge which Hinata had gasped at delighted. He could store so many eggs in that thing.

There were technically two bathrooms in this place but uh... Well. Hinata, being the naturally curious person he was, and much more of an ask forgiveness later kind of person, had poked his head into each room and closet, and opened a bunch of cabinets, trying to assess the lay of the land. Atsumu had trailed after him a bit anxiously, but allowed Hinata to do his thing. He’d only intervened when Hinata tried to enter the door tucked into the far side of the main room, beside the large glass patio doors, behind the couch.

Atsumu had stood in front of that door, gesturing at the back garden, which Hinata had just stepped back inside from “I’ve been thinking of setting up a net in the back, and now that you’re here, maybe now would be a good time” Atsumu said with a tight smile.

Hinata, an airhead, but not an idiot had nodded thoughtfully, lulling Atsumu into a false sense of security. He took a step back like he was going to pass behind the couch to check out the garage, but then twisted and darted behind Atsumu, quicker than him by half, and pulled open the door.

Inside was a bathroom in it’s dying throes. The place formerly known as bathroom. For how clean and well maintained the rest of the house was this room was absolutely incongruous. It looked like it had once been a well tiled, traditional japanese bath, with a huge inset tub with plenty of splash space. There was a high window to air out the place, but... Tile was smashed on the wall, it looked like a chunk had been ripped out of the huge deep tub, rock chipped. The hose was disconnected from the wall, and there was a smashed bucket off to the side.

Hinata froze as he took in the sights, stiffly turning to face Atsumu, horror in his eyes. Astumu just grimaced “I’m remodeling?” Hinata glanced back into the room, there was a fine layer of dust covering the whole place.

He looked back at Atsumu “Are you sure you’re not a serial killer?” he asked seriously.

Atsumu had thrown up his hands “Oh fuck off with that nonsense” and then moved to show him the upstairs.

Hinata realized he’s probably being very uncharitable right now. Poor Atsumu had been kind enough to let him into his home, share his palace of solitude with Hinata. The least Hinata could do was show the man some respect. He kept a very nice, very clean home, it smelled like laundry and good food and Atsumu’s pomade, and he’d had the magnanimous heart of some sort of folk hero, letting Hinata in to warm his hands and break his bread. He truly embodied the spirit of the setter, uplifting his team, raising them up above himself-

-Whump, a pile of dusty blankets landed on Hinata’s head, solidly knocking him over, messing up the neat piles of his clothes he’d just made. Hacking, Hinata fished his way out of the blankets, to glare balefully at the grinning man standing in the door. “Found ‘em” Atsumu waved a bamboo rug beater at Hinata “You can go give those a smack outside, they’re kind of dusty” His mean smile widened at Hinata’s expression, oh he was well aware of how dusty they were. Atsumu tilted his head to look at his own doorway “I might get you to do mine too, you don’t mind do ya Shouyou-kun?”

But then again Atsumu was a real bastard sometimes too.

\--

Atsumu was in the kitchen, cooking them supper while Hinata beat the dust out of the blankets and bedding Atsumu had given him in the backyard. He had a cloth wrapped around his face and was wearing his sunglasses to try and keep himself from inhaling all the dust. As much as he’d been pouty about the way Atsumu had tossed the dusty bedding on him, Hinata was a bit glad to have something physically involved to do. They hadn’t actually had practice that morning, it turned into a team meeting to break the news to everyone, which meant Hinata was way down where he usually was on a typical weekday for the amount of physical activity he had managed today.

Luckily Atsumu was the exact type of homebody who hated going to workout with other people, so he had that beautiful, fully equipped set up ready for Hinata to use at his leisure. Thank god for Atsumu.

Hinata looked over his shoulder to see his new roommate, back turned to him, standing over a pot on the stovetop stirring. He really ought to figure out how to do something nice for Atsumu while he was staying here. All of this really was very generous of him. The house, the place to sleep, the food, the training set up. It was better than anything Hinata could have hoped for. Even if he could have born biting his tongue at his mom’s house, Atsumu still had a better pro athlete quarantine set up by far.

Hinata could help cook of course, and would do so, and he’d keep things tidy. But there wasn’t much he could think to give or help Atsumu with while they were stuck in quarantine together. Maybe he’d text Osamu later for ideas, and then cross reference the suggestion with Oran-senpai to make sure Osamu wasn’t playing a mean trick.

Hinata picked his soon to be blanket off the line, and hung Atsumu’s blanket in its stead, ready to get to work on the last piece of bedding, but not before catching a whiff of Atsumu smell.

* * *

_They’ve just won their fifth game in a row since Hinata joined the team and are travelling back home by bus. Coach Foster had discovered his new favorite tactic in games: switch Barnes and Hinata out between sets, so that just as the other team makes adjustments to counteract one of them, they have a whole new set of problems to deal with._

_Hinata is sitting next to Atsumu, who after excitedly chatting with him about the game for the better part of the last hour, has dozed off to sleep, his head lolling back on the head rest. Hinata glances around to make sure everyone else is napping or otherwise distracted, ensuring he’ll have no witnesses to his little shameful secret._

_Leaning over he presses his face into Atsumu’s shoulder, taking in a deep breath through his nose, reveling in how wonderful Atsumu smells. Something about it always just perfectly does the trick to knock him out on these bus rides. If he ends up drooling Atsumu’s shoulder he’ll be sure to be effusively apologetic when he wakes up._

* * *

Hinata will never, so long as they are playing on the same team, admit this out loud, but good lord he loves the way Atsumu smells. Always has. A mix of the stuff he uses for his hair, his body wash and deodorant and then just, body man smell. He’d asked what Atsumu used before, gotten everything for himself to try and found the combination just didn’t produce the same spicy plus woodsy-musk smell as it did for Atsumu.

Hinata, despite having an extremely hardcore rule that he does not ever, ever, ever, hit on or sleep with his teammates, having seen too many beach partnerships implode the second your genitals got involved, took every opportunity he could to get a whiff of Atsumu. He told himself it wasn’t much different from the ways he and the other Karasuno boys used to fight over who would get to sit next Yachi on the bus, who always smelled good, in an attempt to avoid the stinky boy smell from too much farting and unwashed gym socks.

He swung the bamboo beater, trying to clear his head. Hinata didn’t have a crush on Atsumu. Yes, the man was criminally good looking, and had excellent eyebrows, and yes there had been that one time Hinata found Atsumu’s photo in a volleyball magazine after his team had kicked Karasuno’s ass at nationals in Hinata’s second year where Hinata had... ah, well... Anyways they were grown ups now, and they were very good friends. As Hinata had once explained to Yachi, as a gay man in proffesional sports, if he wasn’t able to control himself around stacked, sexy men, he wouldn’t be able to play. And Hinata’s volleyball concentration was second to none. Nothing would get in the way of him playing just one more set, not even attractive teammates.

Atsumu had always been a little overly familiar, so a week into Hinata joining the Black Jackals, it already kind of felt like they’d been friends for a long while. Like a pricklier, mean version of Suga. And then they’d kind of both been extremely obsessed with volleyball and they both valued pushing themselves and progress, so they just kind of inevitably became a pair on the team. This mostly stemmed from them practicing long hours with each other, working on various plays, or trying to make the quick that much more effective. But it was also because they actually liked each other. Hinata actually laughed at Atsumu’s jokes and paid attention when he’d say things. For his part Atsumu seemed to enjoy supporting Hinata to the best of his abilities, getting behind anything Hinata suggested, like he was already on board with it, no matter how silly or reckless.

Hinata might love Bokuto like a mentor and as a very close friend, but Atsumu was effectively his other half on the team, like he and Kageyama had been in high school. But like, nicer to each other than that. He only hadn’t asked Atsumu if he could stay with him during quarantine because he didn’t want to make his friend feel pressured and like he had to say yes, when he really would rather be on his own. Because Atsumu knew how terrible his shoebox was, and he cared in his way, so he’d have said yes and then gradually they’d grow to hate each other and then Atsumu would stop setting to Hinata when they came out the other side of this and then-

Hinata paused his whapping, realizing maybe he was getting a bit too overzealous as he got lost in his anxieties. He smoothed a hand over Atsumu’s comforter, thankfully none the worse for wear. He needed to not catastrophize, Atsumu had offered him a place to stay, and they’d be fine, nothing to worry about. He’d get these blankets inside and then lay out roomie ground rules and expectations with Atsumu and then it would all be great.

His stomach rumbled causing him to look down, cheeks flushing. His shirt was filthy, covered in dust and a bit of sweat from the exertion. And he didn’t want to get all these freshly smacked blankets dusty again now did he? Hinata stripped off his shirt and scooped up his load, and slid the door open to come inside. The room smelled amazing. Hinata who had been planning on slipping by to drop things off, take a shower and then come down for food, found himself hovering over towards the galley, nose in the air sniffing. His mouth was watering.

He set down the bundle of blankets and leaned against the counter “Is that ginger fried pork?” Hinata asked, trying to see around Atsumu to the pan in front of him.

Atsumu turned, his lazy self satisfied grin on his face, before it was quickly wiped away he took in Hinata’s lack of shirt “You always do chores in the nude or somethin’, because we’re going to have to talk about that” He said pursing his lips.

Hinata snorted a laugh, looking down “Sorry, I forgot. I didn’t want my dirty shirt to make these freshly smacked blankets dirty again” He said, patting the pile of bedding on the stool to emphasize his point. “Sooooo, ginger fried pork?” Hinata asked hopefully, once more trying to get an angle on the pan, around Atsumu.

Atsumu just shook his head amused “Yeah, the nose knows, eh?” He gestured up the stairs with his cooking chopsticks as he turned back to the stove “Put those away and get cleaned up, food’ll be ready in 10 minutes” He gave the pan a flick, filling the room with more tangy ginger pork smell. Hinata practically drooled. Atsumu peeked over his shoulder again at him “And then we can have our first official roommate meeting, after you put a shirt on.”

Hinata stuck his tongue out at him, but did as he was told, dropping a neat pile of blankets upstairs in his room, and then more hesitantly nudging Atsumu’s room open and creeping in with the blanket.

“A California king? Dang ‘Tsumu” Hinata whistled low, padding over to the large bed occupying the center of the room. The room was only slightly larger than Hinata’s guest room, but was surrounded on three walls by windows that started at waist height and climbed almost to the ceiling, overlooking the back garden “And quite the exhibitionist too” Hinata chortled to himself as he spread the blanket out on the bed, tucking in the corners. There was a walk-in closet in the corner to the left, and a low dresser and mirror along the right wall, with a low bookcase off to the side, with night tables on either side of the bed. All in all a pretty normal room. It was intensely saturated with Atsumu smell, which made Hinata wonder what the shoebox had smelled like to Atsumu earlier. Probably like sadness and desperation. Hinata sniffed under his own arm, curious as to how he was doing.

“Yikes. Shower time I guess” He muttered, ducking back into his own room to grab a change of clothes and his own toiletries before slipping into the bathroom. It was western style, unlike the ruined bathroom downstairs. It had an upright shower, a sink set into a cabinet, and then a toilet on the opposite wall. There were like a dozen big fluffy towels in here. How many could Atsumu possibly need? Hinata knew Atsumu always took the longest in the showers after games and practices, knowing from experience having waited for his friend when they planned to eat afterwards. Hinata had on more than one occasion barging into the locker room to flick the lights at Atsumu to get him to hurry up, but Hinata never would have expected Atsumu had a penchant for fluffy towels.

“International man of mystery” He hummed with a grin, turning the shower on, twiddling the knobs until he found a setting he liked. Hinata could more leisurely explore Atsumu’s bathroom another day, his stomach reminded him that all he’d had at lunch had been a protein bar and orange juice.

He hopped down the stairs two at a time, to find Atsumu just setting plates down on the counter top, piled high with rice and veggies and lots and lots of ginger fried pork. Hinata slid into the nearest barstool and kicked his feet impatiently waiting for Atsumu to take his seat so they could start eating. Atsumu was very slowly moving about the kitchen, opening cabinets, as if he didn’t know exactly where the cups were in his own home.

Hinata pressed his lips together, threading his fingers together and willed himself to stop moving. He had a younger sister, he knew the score. It’s not fun if they don’t react. Hinata idly looked about the room, as if this wasn’t a huge bother, and waited for Atsumu to click his tongue in annoyance, setting down barley tea and two glasses. He gave Atsumu a cheeky grin, who humphed in return as they both grabbed their chopsticks.

“Itadakimasu!”

And they dug in, Hinata immediately made an embarassingly errotic groaning noise and whipped around to look at Atsumu, who looked a bit confused “Holy heck!” Hinata exclaimed after swallowing.

Atsumu just looked down at him, and then down at Hinata’s plate, brows knit in concern “What?”

“Atsumu-san! You’re a really good cook!” Hinata watched as Atsumu’s lips parted, the wrinkle in his brow smoothing, before a pleased smile slid across his face.

“Oh, you think so?” He asked, taking a sip of his tea. Atsumu loved praise, flourished on it. Hinata lived to be acknowledged for his accomplishments, but he knew that Atsumu was like a flower and compliments were like the sun making him bloom.

Hinata took another bite, making a cooing noise in the back of his throat. He swallowed “Mhmm. Oh man, you keep cooking for me and maybe I will have to call you Atsumu-sama after all” He wasn’t overly bothered by it, if food would taste this good he’d happily kiss Atsumu’s feet before every meal.

Atsumu had a full grin on his face now, his cheeks flushed in delight. “I guess it’s pretty good, isn’t it?” So like a housewife fishing for compliments. Atsumu was so cute.

Hinata shoved another mouthful of food into his mouth chewing with a pleased sigh “Just the best” He took a sip of his drink “I always assumed Osamu-san was the cook in the family, I didn’t know you could too”

He peeked out of the corner of his eye watching Atsumu flush even more, biting on his lip to try and contain his wide smile. Hinata had learned early on that the thing Atsumu loved second only to volleyball was being compared to his twin favorably.

* * *

  
_Bokuto was throwing a party, in honour of Hinata’s tenth service ace - had been the original conceit, but really it was just an excuse to get everyone together to drink over a long weekend. Osamu was in attendance as Atsumu’s guest, and it was the first time Hinata had gotten to interact with him meaningfully since he’d joined the team. Osamu was super impressive, and seemed infinitely more mature than his brother, but Hinata had to admit there was something lacking in his interactions with Osamu compared to when they’d been kids._

_He nailed it on the head a few hours later after a few drinks and squinted to look up at Atsumu standing at his side. “You know, it’s too bad really” He said forlornly. Atsumu gave him a confused look. Hinata flapped his hand and said “About Osamu, and his hair. He used to look so cool” Hinata had thought the Miya twins' silver and blonde hair had been the height of cool when he was a teenager. In the intervening years, Osamu had cut his hair to its natural colour and then for the most part kept it hidden under a hat. He was still handsome, just less eye-catching than he’d been, than Atsumu was._

_And then Hinata looked up at Atsumu, who was watching him intently, and smiled “I’m glad you kept your hair like this Atsumu-san, it looks sooooo cooooool”_

_Atsumu had touched his hair and asked “You really think so?” Waited for Hinata’s emphatic nod and then giddily went to go needle his twin about who the more handsome of the two of them was._

* * *

Seeing Atsumu get pleased about cooking though would definitely work in Hinata’s favour. If half of Atsumu’s cooking tasted this good, he would die a happy and satisfied man. They chatted a bit more about Atsumu’s favourite things to make, Atsumu not too subtly fishing for compliments about the variety of dishes he knew how to make, Hinata also not so subtly showering him in praise and maybe a bit of exaggerated wonder. Hinata had been the oldest child of a single parent who worked long hours, he too knew how to cook, but it made Atsumu happy so he continued to dole out awe and compliments.

Finally it was time to get down to brass tax after Hinata washed dishes. They’d relocated to the couch, Hinata was sipping on a warm tea while Atsumu drank his water. A piece of paper and a pen sat on the coffee table waiting for them to take notes. Hinata claps his hands together “Alright, so welcome to the first ever joint Miya-Hina house meeting-”

“Are you going to do this every time we talk about house related things?” Atsumu asked, squinting at him.

Hinata pressed his lips together “No, I wasn't planning on it. I just figured a bit of ceremony would be nice, what with this being your first meeting of this type, and my first time staying at your house, but anyways...” He gave Atsumu a significant look, who just quirked his mouth in amusement.

“I dunno, kinda seems like how Bokkun runs yakiniku. He tells you how much everyone gets, people are put in charge of different things, I inevitably use too much sauce, y’know, the way things go” Atsumu says with a shrug, teasing grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Hinata rolls his eyes and gestures towards the sheet of paper “By all means”

Leaning forward, teasing grin taking a shit eating sharpness Atsumu writes in his lazy handwriting ‘Moratorium on saying “By all means”’

“Atsumu-san!” Hinata scolds as Atsumu laughs “Take this more seriously” He says through narrowed eyes.

Atsumu holds up his hands “Okay okay, tell me Mr. one roomate haver, what’s the most important thing we should hash out?”

“You’re not counting Bokuto and Akaashi-san when I moved here” Hinata says primly, plucking the pen out of Atsumu’s hands. He writes ‘Food’ on the sheet of paper and underlines it, making Atsumu laugh a bit more “Yes, food, seriously. You grew up with Osamu-san, didn’t you ever have to deal with him stealing your last pudding or fruit snack?”

Atsumu considered this “Mmmm, I think I stole more of ‘Samu’s food than he did mine, so when he did I figured fair was fair” He said with a shrug.

Hinata is aghast, staring at the unrepentant food stealer across from him. Sure, Hinata had taken some food from Natsu here and there over the years, but it was mainly in the spirit of sharing, rather than outright theft. He’d only invoked the big brother tax a few times for really tasty treats. “Atsumu-san” Hinata started carefully “Don’t steal my food” He said with all the grave seriousness he could muster.

Atsumu slowly turned his head to look Hinata in the eyes. He tilted his head “Then don’t use my kitchen?” He said ominously. They stared each other down, Hinata fully prepared to passive aggressively hoard dried goods in his guest bedroom, scooping dried beans into his mouth with his hands until Atsumu backed down. Eventually Atsumu cracked a grin, shaking his head.

“Alright, alright Shouyou-kun, how’s about we just share all food?” He caught his tongue between his teeth in a teasing smile “‘Specially if you like my cooking if you so much”

Hinata eyed him suspiciously as he wrote down ‘Share food equally’ then bracketed [Split cooking duties] then [Alternate dates] then finally [The chef does not clean]. Atsumu looked down at the sheet, raising his eyebrows with a nod “Uwah, Shouyou-kun, you have nice handwriting, don’t think I’ve ever seen it before”

Hinata lifted his nose in the air “I had to take remedial courses in grade school because my handwriting was so bad” Proud to have another thing up on Atsumu.

Atsumu tsked “Shouyou-kun, I don’t think that’s something to be proud of” Hinata scoffed but Atsumu continued “So what’s next?”

Over the next hour they laid out a few ground rules and expectations. House noise hours were to be 9am-9pm, garbage pick up for now was going to be on Wednesday’s, but that might be subject to change. Atsumu is a pretty tidy person so no unreasonable messes left unattended, Hinata charitably bit his tongue about the ‘mess’ of the second bathroom. Grocery shopping trips would be taken together with a predetermined list, for a chance to get out of the house but to do so efficiently. Don’t go in each other’s bedrooms unless invited. They would alternate days on who would cook dinner. Breakfast and lunch would be handled independently, with a shelf in the fridge being dedicated to “recipe” ingredients, so as not to steal something that needed to replaced

Atsumu made Hinata explain that one, so he recounted the time he’d stumbled upon an “asian” food store in Rio, and the only thing he’d recognized was curry cubes, which he almost wept for cause he’d been feeling a bit homesick. He promised his roommate Pedro he’d make him the most delicious meal with it, and when he’d come home from practice that night, well after the nearby markets were closed, he discovered Pedro had used his carrot, onion, and beef meant for the curry to make his lunch. Atumu had laughed at the image of potato curry.

They also agreed that should issues come up, they’d talk about it directly, both of them being direct and blunt people. And if necessary they could add or change things on the list as they went. They shook on it, both of them feeling overconfident that they’d be the perfect roommate to one another.

Within the first week alone Atsumu, who was apparently a late sleeper, had stomped out of his bedroom in nothing but sweatpants to glower down the stairs at Hinata who was listening to music while he did some stair jumps, the sound of which had woken Atsumu. He’d nearly fallen off the stairs, Atsumu startled him so badly. Then there was the whole, Atsumu would take an hour in the shower thing, where Hinata threatened to pee in the backyard if he didn’t hurry his ass up. And then they’d had an argument about how long was too long to be using equipment in the home gym. Atsumu only had one skipping rope and one weight bench, so those in particular became contentious objects. Atsumu would also take video calls anywhere in the house without headphones, rendering whatever space he was in no mans land while he was in there, trapping Hinata either in the garage or his bedroom to his increasing frustration. He finally snapped one day and walked silently into the background when Atsumu was mid-video call with Osamu, and silently snuck up on Atsumu to scare the crap out of him. Osamu had thought it was hilarious. Atsumu less so.

But it wasn’t all bad, they slowly got used to each other’s rhythms and habits and started to carve out respect and comfort with each other as time went on. One of the things they were most grateful for was that with the two of them here it was possible to effectively practice together. Atsumu had his own stash of volleyballs, and Hinata had brought two of his own just in case, and daily they’d spend a few hours passing the ball back and forth. The yard was too small to try anything particularly interesting, but they at least could practice spiking and recieves to a certain extent. And lots and lots of overhand passes.

At the end of their first week together Hinata sat cross-legged outside on the veranda just as light started to bleed through the night sky into dawn. He listened to the chirps of birds, and breathed in deeply and then out through his nose. The air was a bit chill, but he could smell the fresh green of an early spring. He started to visualize the air that left his lungs moving in the space around him, around the veranda, up, and up into the sky, beyond the clouds-

The door slid open behind him and the heavy step of Atsumu sounded. He hissed as his feet his the cool wood “Eeesh Shouyou-kun, it’s chilly out here this morning” He complained, before he breathed in sharply “Oh shit, I’m interrupting your meditation, sorry-”

Hinata reached out a hand and placed it on Atsumu’s foot, making him stop his retreat. Hinata looked up at him, giving him a bit of a dreamy smile. “It’s okay” Atsumu just stared down at him, his face having gone momentarily slack. “You’re up early today” Hinata observed, still looking up at Atsumu.

Atsumu blinked, whatever spell he’d been under broke “Uh, yeah, couldn’t sleep, busy brain” He said with a shrug.

Hinata’s mouth quirked “Yeah, I understand that, it’s why I do this” He said with a nod at the veranda, indicating his meditation.

Atsumu fidgeted with the sleeves of his hoodie. His hair was all askew from his sleep. He looked younger right now, more like the youth Hinata had met as a teenager. Atsumu cleared his throat “Does it work?”

Hinata smiled at him “It does for me, wanna try?” Atsumu shifted side to side before he plopped down next to Hinata and hissed again. Hinata gave a soft laugh “It’s not that cold Atsumu-san”

“Yeah okay mountain Miyagi man” Atsumu grumbled, tucking his hands into his sleeves. “What now?”

And so Hinata explained his process, how he first focused on what he could feel and hear and smell, shutting his eyes describing each and everything, and then focusing on his breathing, and how the air moved in his chest and outwards. And then like that both of them were sitting silently, side by side, listening to the other breathe.

When Hinata had had his fill he opened his eyes to see how Atsumu was doing, to find the man in question staring at him, eyes half hooded and relaxed. Hinata smiled, which Atsumu returned “How was it?” Hinata whispered, his own expression gone soft around the edges.

Atsumu took a deep breath “I didn’t think it would be, but it was kind of nice” He whispered back.

Hinata leaned over to bump his shoulder “Did you stop the busy brain?” voice still soft.

Atsumu leaned back into him “Mhmm, and it’s still pretty slack in here too” Smile going toothy.

Hinata’s smile widened “Thanks for doing that with me, and not making fun of me”

Atsumu’s eyes crinkled kind of like a foxes “Thanks for not saying anything about my hair”

Hinata laughed softly, reaching up to pet Atsumu’s hair “I would never” Atsumu chuckled, trying to duck away, but Hinata managed to grab a tuft at the side and gave it a gentle tug. Atsumu’s eyes fluttered closed, lips parted in a sigh, and Hinata took in a half sharp breath, feeling heat roll in his stomach. He popped his hand off of Atsumu’s head, placing it in his own lap, his cheeks pinker than they ought to be.

Hinata abruptly pushed up to stand “Aaahhh, maybe you were right Atsumu-san, it is pretty cold out here, I’m going to go in to make coffee, want some?” And without waiting for a response he stepped back indoors, trying to keep his gait normal as his face blushed a fiery red. Shit shit shit shit shit. Touch starved and horny and stuck in quarantine with his very beautiful teammate was a recipe for disaster waiting to happen. Good god, he hoped he could go back to practice and finding beds to jump into soon, because he didn’t know how much more he could take of Atsumu being cute, or unintentionally sexy before he died from heart failure.

In his rush back into the house, Hinata missed the disappointed twist to Atsumu’s mouth as he watched his roommate flee into the kitchen.


	3. Two Meters Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: conversations about Homophobia and fraught relationships with mothers. 
> 
> If you'd like to avoid the section it starts near the end of the chapter with "Hinata heaves a sigh and sits up," and ends at "Hinata is staring up at him,"
> 
> Thanks as always for reading!

Hinata returns from one of his early morning runs, chest heaving in satisfaction at getting his lungs to open up, and is startled to find Atsumu already in the kitchen. Hair sticking up at the back, and a bleary look in his eyes as he sipped on his coffee, waiting for his toast.

At least he was wearing a robe today. Atsumu’s penchant for walking around shirtless early in the morning before his shower had not been very good for Hinata’s poor little heart. Ever since that ‘incident’ on the veranda last week, Hinata had been unfortunately aware of Atsumu’s physicality ever since. He was a big guy, with a big broad chest, and excellently wide shoulders that Hinata was absolutely not allowed to fantasize about, doubly because they were on the same team, and quarantining together for who knew how long. It’s just Atsumu wandering around without a shirt on, made it very very hard for Hinata to focus on whatever he was doing, and how he was definitely not imagining tweaking one of those nipp-

“Morning, Atsumu-san” Hinata says brightly, brushing past him in the kitchen to grab a glass of water and then picking up some fruit, before rounding the galley and sitting at one of the barstools. He was trying very hard not to stare at the way Atsumu’s robe gaped at the collar, showing off very nice collarbones. “You’re up early”

Atsumu had joined him only once more for meditation, and seemed generally interested, if unwilling to wake up as early as Hinata very often. He claimed he needed an alarm to wake up, and made a face when Hinata explained he always woke up when the light quality changed, so he was pretty much always up with the sun. So to see Atsumu up and about at 7:45 was a bit strange, all things considered.

Atsumu blinked owlishly at him, Hinata cursed that the least Atsumu could do was be unattractive in the mornings like a normal person and not absolutely adorable, before saying through a yawn “Mornin’ how’re ya so...” Atsumu made an exploding finger wiggle motion with his free hand “in the morning?”

“How am I so awake in the morning?”

“Yeah” Toast popping up behind Atsumu, causing him to turn his back on Hinata.

“I’ve always been a morning person though” Hinata said through a mouthful of orange, before swallowing “I’ve been up for about an hour and a half now. I’ve always gotten all twitchy if I’m not up and doing something first thing” He said with a shrug, setting to work on peeling his banana.

Atsumu turned with his small plate of peanut butter toast “Don’t talk with yer mouth full Shouyou-kun” He chided, leaning forward against the counter so it could support his weight. The robe gaped open further, revealing the light dusting of hair Atsumu had on his chest. Aw hell. “Maybe I should join ya fer a run one of these days” He mused before taking a bite of his toast.

Hinata blinked, taking in the sight of Atsumu sleepily munching on his toast, listing a bit to the side under the weight of his exhaustion “Err, Atsumu-san, are you sure about that?” He asked lightly, not looking to pick a fight.

Atsumu looked at him sharply, swallowing, taking a sip of coffee “What Shouyou-kun, you don’t think I can keep up with you?” His smile was sharp around the edges. His eyebrows quirked in that way he got when their opponents tried to rile him ‘Ya trying to diss me?’ they seemed to say. Leave it to Atsumu’s competitiveness to wake him up.

Hinata licked his lips, treading cautiously “No, no. I know you could keep up with me” He said placatingly, which made Atsumu’s brows furrow more “It’s just, ah, I leave for my runs no later than 6:30 in the morning”

“And?”

Oh he was going to be stubborn about this, was he? Fine “Sure, fine, I’d be happy to have you join me tomorrow”

“Great”

“Yup. We’ll leave at 6:15”

Atsumu’s smug grin wiped off his face at that “You said 6:30”

“I said no later than 6:30” Hinata corrected cheerfully around a mouthful of banana, making Atsumu’s lip curl in disgust. Hinata just beamed right back at him.

“Say it don’t spray it, you’re so gross Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu muttered, grabbing his toast and coffee to round the galley and moved towards the stairs “Alright don’t be too noisy, I have a video call with my family at 8” Atsumu said with an air of long suffering.

Hinata turned in his barstool to watch him “Yuck, who scheduled that?” Atsumu threw him an amused glance, they’d just been talking about early morning runs, but okay.

Atsumu paused on the bottom step, looking at Hinata “‘Samu did”

Hinata nodded, peeling his second orange “What’d you do to piss him off?”

“Why’s it always gotta be me who pissed him off?” Atsumu huffs.

Hinata shrugged innocently “Because it usually is, and he wouldn’t schedule an 8am video call except to spite you?”

Atsumu snorted “Fair” He turned and started making his way up the stairs out of sight.

“Tell Osamu-san I said hi!” Hinata calls after him.

“Uhuh, yup”

Hinata stretched his arms up over his head, looking into the kitchen thoughtfully. Now that he's had his pre-breakfast snack he’s ready for something with a bit more protein. Eggs sound nice right about now. He dropped his peels into the compost and started rifling through the cupboards to find what he needed.

\--

Hinata is standing on the front step outside swinging his arms around, trying to loosen up his shoulders for his morning run, waiting for Atsumu to join him. He’d actually been a little surprised to hear the alarm go off in Atsumu’s room twenty minutes ago, and had needed to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud when he heard Atsumu groan and curse loudly at the sound.

Hinata had gotten dressed, had half a banana and a glass of water and then waited downstairs as he heard Atsumu thump around upstairs, swearing occasionally. He’d eventually stood at the bottom of the stairs and called up “Atsumu-san, are you coming?” only a little impatiently.

Atsumu had yelled back “Yeah, yeah, just a minute” So Hinata had taken himself outside to warm up. He was just in the middle of hopping up and down on his toes when Atsumu finally swung the door open, locking it behind him.

When Atsumu turned he gave Hinata a quick once over, scrunching up his face “What the hell? Aren’t you cold?”

Hinata looked down at himself, he was wearing compression leggings under shorts and a hoodie. He looked back up at Atsumu who was wearing a Black Jackals windbreaker and sweater, sweats, and a scarf. And a hat, likely to cover his mussed hair. Hinata grins “Nope” breath misting a bit in the chill air.

Atsumu started stretching out his hips, glowering down at Hinata “Fucking mountain man bullshit” he grumbled under his breath, making Hinata grin wider. Oh, this would be very fun.

“Ready?” He asked, chipper smile on his face. He took Atsumu’s sigh of long suffering as a yes and started jogging down the street, Atsumu keeping pace with him at his side. They ran like that in companionable silence for the first ten minutes or so, the roads virtually empty, just how Hinata liked it, the sound of their steady breathing and feet hitting pavement the only noise on the vacant streets.

Feeling like they’d hit a pretty good and comfortable rhythm Hinata looked up and over at Atsumu “So why’d you want to come with me today?”

Atsumu blinked, pulled from his thoughts, and looked back at Hinata “Do you not want me here...?”

“No, no, this is nice, it’s just you’re not much of a morning person” Hinata said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“S’true I guess” Atsumu seemed to think about it a moment before saying “I kind like having someone else set the pace sometimes, y’know to compete against, and I figured this was a good way to hang out without us getting on each others nerves”

Hinata blinked, and was about to respond, but had to quickly leap over a small pillar in his way. Atsumu snorted at how his pace didn’t even falter “We live together, we’ve been hanging out plenty” And they hadn’t gotten on each other’s nerves. Hinata had seen to that.

Atsumu’s mouth twists in something between amusement and frustration “Sure, but ‘M not dumb Shouyou-kun, I know you’ve been trying to keep yer distance and give me space. It’s not like I’m going ta kick ya out for being yer usual self”

Hinata stares up at him surprised. So he’d noticed had he? It wasn’t anything big really. It was more just Hinata avoided the main room except when invited, trying to give Atsumu as much space as he was used to. He often brought meals up to his bedroom, or would walk around with headphones in, even if they weren’t on, to signify ‘I’m not listening, see, I can’t hear you’. He’d thought he was being kinda of subtle. Guess not.

Hinata grimaces, letting their feet beat against the pavement for a few more moments and says “I’m sorry”

Atsumu shakes his head “I’m not asking for an apology, I just want ya ta be comfortable is all” he nudged Hinata with his elbow “We were friends first, ya don’t have ta pretend like it’s any different than it was before. Weird circumstances and all that”

Hinata flushes and bites his lip. He really had been a very big weirdo, first with the whole taking this roommate thing too seriously, it was serious, it deserved respect, but it shouldn’t supersede their friendship. Then with the whole feeling awkward because his brain refused to ignore how good looking Atsumu was, because Hinata was seeing him out of the context of volleyball, and it needed to stop. It had only been two weeks, and he felt bad that he’d already made things weird. He sucked in a deep breath.

“Atsumu-san, you’re so mature”

Atsumu squinted down at him, trying to tell if he was being made fun of. Hinata just grinned back up at him “Thanks, you’re right. I am sorry for being a bit weird about this all, it’s not fair to you. I’ll try and be a better friend”

“‘S’all I want” Atsumu said with his own smile, before it took a mean edge “Y’know, I always figured your runs were probably absolutely insane, that would make a normal person puke up a lung at the end, but this is pretty easy”

Hinata laughed, until he realized Atsumu was serious “Oh, that was just the warm-up. I think we’re probably ready for 3rd tempo now” Hinata said, shifting to lengthen his stride.

It took Atsumu a moment to reorient his pace, before once again running shoulder to shoulder with Hinata “I’m sorry, did ya say 3rd tempo?”

Hinata gave him a toothy grin “I didn’t tell you Atsumu-san? I do interval running between four different tempo speeds” He gave Atsumu a wink, sticking his tongue out at him.

Atsumu laughed “Wait, you said four tempos, and we’re doing 3rd right now, what were we just running?”

“The warm up” He looked at Atsumu sidelong “I hope you can keep up with minus-tempo”

Atsumu just grinned back at him “Bring it Shouyou-kun”

And so Hinata did, leading Atsumu up and down hills, through parkways until they eventually ran by the waterfront, arbitrarily switching between tempos. Hinata was impressed that Atsumu not only managed to keep pace with him, but handled the minus tempo sprints with relative ease, pushing Hinata even faster to keep up with Atsumu’s longer legs. They raced back to the house, with Hinata finding a last second burst of stamina to tag the front door first, just barely beating Atsumu.

They both collapsed to the ground, laying on the asphalt of Atsumu’s small driveway, chests heaving for breath. They were both coated with sweat, Atsumu more so because of his added layers. Hinata pulled at his hoodie and tried to pull it off his sticky chest to let the cool morning air touch his clammy skin. He looked over at Atsumu, chest still heaving, but wearing a pleased grin all the same. Hinata laughed, grabbing his attention “What’re you so smiley about?”

Atsumu gave his own laugh, shaking his head a bit “‘S’nothing, just happy is all. I needed that” He said with a contented sigh.

Hinata grinned “Best run I’ve had in weeks” he said stretching his arms over his head, feeling the cool air hit the strip of skin on his exposed belly.

“Guess this means I’m going to be waking up early more often, doesn’t it?” Atsumu asked pained.

“Only if you want to”

Atsumu snorted “Well damned if I don’t”

Hinata sat up, grinning, his stomach telling him it was breakfast-o’clock please. He looked over and found Atsumu looking at him expectantly, grinning at him “Let’s go eat” Hinata said, clambering to his feet and pulling Atsumu up to his own. “I call first shower otherwise I’ll die a gross and sweaty man while I wait for you to finish your hair” Hinata tossed over his shoulder as they made their way inside.

Atsumu kicked off his shoes and pursed his lips, looking across the entryway into the mainroom “Maybe we should get that other bathroom fixed. A bath would be kind of nice around now”

“Hnnngh” Hinata practically moaned tilting his head back, “I’d give anything for a bath right now” He turned to look over at Atsumu, who was staring at him with wide eyes “I have some friends who are contractors who could give us tips on fixing it ourselves. No need to have workers coming in and out during a quarantine” He batted his eyes at Atsumu.

Atsumu snorted, brushing past him into the kitchen “Been thinking about that a lot have you?”

“Mmmmaaaybe...” He was leaning against the fridge giving Atsumu his best hopeful puppy dog eyes.

Atsumu sighed and rolled his eyes “Fine. Ask” And Hinata whooped, slapping him on the back as he bounced towards the stairs for his shower.

\--

“So this is the bathroom, Aone-san” Hinata said, holding his phone up, using the front facing camera for their video call, showing Aone the state of the destruction in the main floor bathroom. Atsumu was hovering over his shoulder anxiously waiting to hear the verdict.

Aone is silent on the other end of the line taking the destruction all in. He periodically asks Hinata to move the camera from left to right, wanting a close up of the bathtub, or the ruined mess that was once the faucet system on the wall. Finally he has seen enough and tells Hinata that we will make a plan and let them know what resources they will need, if they could send him a list of tools they already have. As the call ends Hinata inverts the camera to face back at him. Both he and Aone make their usual bow of acknowledgement and then the call is ended.

Atsumu is staring at him “What?”

“Yer a really weird guy, ain’t ya Shouyou-kun?” Atsumu asks rhetorically, wandering over to the couch to sprawl across it.

Hinata’s brow knits in irritation. He feels like he’s being made fun of “What’s that supposed to mean?” He trails after Atsumu, perching on the opposite arm rest from Atsumu. If Hinata isn’t on the couch first, Atsumu has a habit of taking up more than his fair share of space, leaving little for him.

Atsumu just shrugs, getting comfortable “Oh you know... Just you and no eyebrows over there, I have no idea where you met some construction guy” Atsumu shrugs, tipping his head back disinterestedly, like he’s not the one who started this whole topic “Ya always know somebody, dontcha?”

Ah, so he was looking to pick a fight then? He’d been kind of prickly ever since Hinata had mentioned his idea of using video chat with Aone to let him do a virtual walkthrough of the space. “Aone-san,” Hinata corrected “and I used to play against each other in high school, like I told you”

“Mmm” Atsumu had his jaw quirked like he was irritated “And ya just bow politely ta all yer old high school buddies?”

“Nope, just Aone-san” Hinata said pleasantly, laying his cheek in his hand with a smile. Bring it Atsumu.

Atsumu clicked his tongue at him, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Hinata “And he’s just willing to free wheeling dole out advice ta anyone who asks? Doesn’t seem like a good way to make money if ya ask me”

“We are friends, Atsumu-san. It’s what friends do for each other” Hinata said, his smile going tight at the corners. This wasn’t strictly true, Aone wouldn’t let Hinata pay for the consultation, but the regular advice and schooling Aone would give them so they could repair the bathroom themselves, Hinata wouldn’t take no for an answer about paying him for his services. He just hadn’t told Atsumu that part, because he figured that would be his very nice thank you gift for letting Hinata stay here. That and the manual labour involved in repairing the whole mess of a bathroom.

Astumu was still pouting across from him, for whoever knew what reason, Hinata swore sometimes he could be as moody as Kageyama. Hinata decided to switch tactics, he reached out his foot and nudged Atsumu’s, draped across the couch “You ever going to tell me what exactly happened to that bathroom?”

Atsumu blinked, left wrong footed by the sudden switch in topic “What? I told you, it was remodeling”

“Mhmm”

Atsumu flopped back, draping his arm over his head again “Does it matter? If we’re going to fix it anyways?”

“With Aone-san’s help” Hinata reminded him, earning a look from under Atsumu’s arm “I mean, you obviously did it, can I ask when?”

“Yer like a dog with a bone sometimes” Atsumu complained.

“I’m persistent because I care” Hinata said, because sometimes it was better to remind Atsumu that people were being nice and cared about him, than letting him have whatever fight he was picking.

Atsumu grunted, pulling himself up on the couch, back against the armrest, facing Hinata, and gave a put upon sigh “Does it really matter that much to you?”

Hinata nodded.

“I did it, the whole shebang” Atsumu gestured towards the still open doorway of the ruined bathroom. “Went in there with a big ole sledgehammer and broke some shit, because I could, and because I wanted to prove I could fix things myself too” He grimaced, looking off to the side. He obviously had never gotten around to that last part.

Hinata looked at his profile, silhouetted by the dusky light in the windows behind him. He’d figured that was the case, but he still didn't understand “Why?”

Atsumu closed his eyes with his eyebrows knit together “Expectations, and not living up to them, I guess?” He shrugged dismissively.

But Hinata really was like a very hungry dog who’d just been given a bone, he was going to suck out every last drop of marrow “Whose?”

Atsumu opens his eyes and glares at Hinata “I think I’m too sober for this discussion” He grumbles, getting up and going to the fridge. He pulls out the box of beer in there and pads back to the couch, slumping back onto it and cracking one open, handing it to Hinata, before doing the same for his own.

Hinata shrugged and took a sip from his own can “Okay-” and then watched as Atsumu drained the can in several gulps, reaching for another with a burp. “What the heck Atsumu-san!”

Atsumu paused opening up his second can, looking over at Hinata “Alright, alright, yer right, I’ll probably puke on our run tomorrow if I chug too many, right?” He still took a pretty long pull from his beer.

“Uhhhhhh” Hinata responded intelligently.

Atsumu gestures for him to continue asking questions. Hinata shifts so he is sitting on a seat cushion now, mirroring Atsumu across from him. He licks his lips “Whose expectations?”

Atsumu takes a drink, shrugging his shoulders “My family, my mom, ‘Samu maybe”

Hinata takes his own sip, watching Atsumu for some sort of reaction. He’d only half realized this was going to be a touchy topic. He’d figured Atsumu had a sulky temper tantrum or something in the ruined bathroom, not something else, something bigger. “What expectations?”

“There’s the million yen question,” Atsumu said, wry twist to his mouth. He flicks his fingers over the tab of his can, staring at it like it might have some of the answers he needs. “My mom was a bit disappointed is all, was worried I was going to end up like my uncle” He gestures around the house.

Hinata tilts his head “The one who passed away, who gave you this place?”

Atsumu jerks his head in a nod “She’s worried that I’m not making time fer what’s important in life” He was working his fingers into the tab, twisting it this way and that, trying to get it to pop off.

Hinata stared blankly at him. Atsumu always went home to Hyougo to visit family anytime they had a break for longer than 5 days, and if not there to go visit Osamu at his Osaka store. He made plenty of time for family. “What’s she think is so important?”

Atsumu laughed, giving Hinata a wry smile “Yer just like me Shouyou-kun, what could possibly be more important than volleyball?”

“Family, friends?” Hinata offered.

Atsumu nodded his head, but his expression told him that wasn’t quite right either “She’s worried I’m not gonna settle down and get married and have kids - Live that bachelor lifestyle till I’m all old and alone like ole uncle Hatori” Atsumu brought his beer up in a sarcastic cheers, before taking another drink.

Hinata frowned at him “That’s kind of cruel, for her to think that” he said softly.

Atsumu stilled, halfway bent over reaching for another beer, he looked at Hinata with surprise “Huh?”

Hinata shifted uncomfortably, tucking his feet under him “Well, it’s, you know,” Hinata blew out a breath, chugging the rest of his drink, finishing it with a burp and then making grabby hands for another, Atsumu obliged him. He cracked the can, gathering his thoughts “Other people shouldn’t get to dictate to you how you choose to live your life, or choose what happiness is for you” He says with a scowl. He’d picked enough fights with his mom before he graduated high school about going to Brazil. She loved him, but she never really believed in his dream.

Hinata shakes his head, choosing not to ruminate on that. He looks Atsumu dead in the eye “Besides, who's your mom to say uncle Hatori was unhappy?”

Atsumu stares at him for a beat, before he kicks his head back and laughs. He shakes his head as he calms down, the smile on his face more genuine now “Oh man, it’s too bad uncle Hatori never met you, he’d have loved that. You sound just like him”

Hinata grins back, taking a sip of his new beer “So you ripped the bathroom up because your mom wants you to date and make her some grandkids?”

Atsumu grimaces at that “Eh, more like a confluence of things” Hinata gestures for him to continue “My mom nags me about this shit constantly, right? Well about 6 months after uncle Hatori died, so like...” he pauses taking a drink as he thinks “3 years ago now I guess? ‘Samu had his new girlfriend-”

“Hitomi-san?” Hinata asks, trying to remember. Osamu has dated a lot of different women in the time they’d been friends. Atsumu had once pointed out that they’re almost seasonal, pointing out that he always seemed to date tall sporty girls in the summer, and softer and rounder women who were good cooks in the winter. And predictably that next fall Osamu had broken up with the competitive swimmer he’d been dating and found a cute florist a few weeks later who liked to fuss over Osamu and made sure he was dressed warmly enough. Hinata had stared at Atsumu’s smug grin, stunned. Atsumu had predicted down to the week when Osamu would break up with the florist, who Hinata had unfortunately liked a lot.

“Ah, yes? No! Maru-chan?” Atsumu ponders, rubbing at his chin, before he waves a hand in front of his face “That doesn’t matter. Anyways, my mom loved this chick, right, and is convinced she’s going to be her daughter in law, so because she’s the one who gave me the greedy gene, she comes to me and goes ‘Whenya gonna make ME grandbabies A-chan?’” The beer must be hitting Atsumu, because he’s getting very animated about a story he didn’t even want to tell in the first place.

“And then we fight, because that’s all she and I know how to do, and then she tells me that I’m going to die alone like uncle Hatori, and he just died and I still felt bad, and then she said that ‘Samu was going to end up much happier than me, which I know is true, that we’re going to be old and I’ll have blown out my knees and can’t walk and he’ll have like, 20 grandkids, and I’ll die sad and alone” Atsumu finished in a whoosh, talking faster and faster as he went. He took another drink, and looked as though he wanted to say something more, but pressed his lips together with great concentration. His cheeks were flushed and his eyebrows drawn in.

Hinata stared at him, his mouth hanging open a bit, never in all his years had he heard Atsumu spill his guts like this. Sometimes, after maybe a few too many drinks, he might start making jokes in and around the area of an insecurity, but never talking about it so forthrightly. There was a lot to unpack here, and he worried that if his next question was the wrong one, Atsumu would clam up and then go drink up in his room alone, and then feel guilty and weird about it tomorrow.

Hinata pressed the flat of his foot against Atsumu’s, grabbing his attention “Why do you know Osamu-san is going to be happier than you?”

Atsumu stared at where their feet were touching. He frowned “Because, how long will our career’s last Shouyou-kun? I think I’m happier than ‘Samu now, but how long’ll it last?” Atsumu flicked his eyes up to look at him through his long and pretty eyelashes.

Hinata leaned his cheek against the backrest, he knew the answer to this one, it had been part of the argument with his mom about him going to Brazil, and then him moving to play pro, away from Miyagi. “We’ll play for as long as we do, we’ll have an amazing time doing it, and by the time we’re done, we’ll find something else that’s fulfilling, whatever that may be” Hinata said simply, corners of his mouth pulling up in a smile.

Atsumu stared at him, a bit awestruck, before he breathed a laugh, and also laid his head against the couch, mirroring Hinata “Uwah, so cool Shouyou-kun. Just that easy, hmm?”

“Yup” Hinata tapped Atsumu’s foot with his own “Besides, why do you have to be so competitive with Osamu-san about who’s happier? Can’t you both be happy and be happy for each other?”

Atsumu pressed his face into the couch and made a frustrated groaning sound “You wouldn’t get it” He grumbled.

Hinata rolled his eyes, taking another drink “Ohh~ Another one of your twin things hmm?” He asked, wiggling his fingers. Atsumu just pouted at him, it was probably meant to be a glare but it was too squinty and his lower lip was too far out. “I think your definition of happiness is too narrow”

“Whaddya mean?”

“I dunno, you could be surrounded by 20 grandkids, you could not be. Just because you get married and have kids doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to be happy, it’s not some western fairytale” Hinata knew that all too well, his father had not been a kind man, and his mother had been very unhappy and lonely for a long time after he left, despite having kids who loved her feverently.

Atsumu seems to ponder that, rubbing at his chin “What would make you happy?”

Hinata beamed at him, throwing his hands in the air “Just one more toss!” He chirps, sprawling backwards on the arm rest and letting his back crack several times audibly.

Atsumu laughed “Shoulda known” He said with a fond smile, taking his own drink. His toes flicked against Hinata’s foot, making him smile.

After a moment Hinata pulls himself back up with ease, blood having rushed to his head too quickly making him a bit dizzy. He used his other foot to tap Atsumu’s “I don’t know why you’re so convinced you’re going to die alone, you could date anyone” Hinata gestured broadly at the living room, but the idea was he was encompassing the whole world.

Atsumu stared at him thoughtfully, before he sighed, shaking his head “‘S’not true Shouyou-kun” He said, straightening his legs, forcing Hinata to bend his own to keep their feet touching.

“Pft, I’ve seen enough thirsty tweets about you from your fans to know that you’re basically the Black Jackals idol Atsumu-san” Hinata tutted at him.

Atsumu’s expression shifted from one of surprise, to his eyebrows coming down in consternation “I’m not going to fuck a fan Shouyou-kun, shit”

Hinata did a very good job ignoring his use of the word fuck in this context, especially the little jolt of heat that hit his stomach, and bent forward to tweak on Atsumu’s toes, making him twitch “I’m not saying a fan, jeez, you might get stabbed, or all your cool hair shaved off or something” Atsumu was scowling at him, making Hinata grin cheekily “Just that you’re a really handsome man and I bet you could pick up anyone you wanted”

Atsumu was staring at Hinata in surprise, his cheeks flushed, before he averted his gaze. He looked ready to say something but decided against it, instead pressing his face into the couch. Hinata pressed the can of beer to his cheek, to cool the flush there “So shy” He cooed, bending forward to tweak Atsumu’s other foot.

Atsumu lifted his head to glower at him, once again looking pouty “I don’t want just anyone though” At Hinata’s expectant smile he gave a long suffering sigh “I don’t date, not really, not in awhile, ‘cause no one understands how important volleyball is. Every time I do, it’s ‘why aren’t we spending more time together?’ and ‘it’s just a game’ and-”

“You have a bad personality” Hinata finished for him, Atsumu actually scowled at him then, and flicked his foot at Hinata’s knee, making him laugh.

“Think yer real cute, huh, Shouyou-kun?” Atsumu asks with a quirk of his eyebrows. He was trying so hard to be threatening, so cute.

“Mhmm” Hinata couldn’t keep the shit eating grin off his face.

Atsumu was trying hard to keep himself from smiling, Hinata could see the way his eyebrows were twitching, and the way the corners of his mouth pulled at the side. So he decided to go for his 100% makes Atsumu laugh every time move. He reached up and flattened his fluffy hair down, pulling it to both sides, pinching his face into Kageyama’s resting pissy face “Miya-san” He said with irritated gravity “Your personality is better than mine”

Atsumu kicked his head back and he laughed, a deep belly laugh, making Hinata grin. The Kageyama impressions did it for him every single time, without fail.

* * *

_They’d just lost to the Warriors in the lead up to the finals, despite having handled them well all season long. Atsumu had been furious, melting into a three day sulk that nothing could break him from. Hinata had eventually convinced him to come out with him for fried chicken and beer. They sat at the table, Atsumu indolent with his chin in his hand, glaring down at his drink, Hinata trying to fill the silence._

_“I know we won last year, but it shoulda been easy with Tobio-kun gone now. It wasn’t even the damned Adlers to do it, bah!” Atsumu eventually bit out, staring at the greasy chicken in his hands, picking it apart and not bothering to eat it._

_And like that Hinata had a fit of inspiration. He pressed his hair down with his hands and then made his face into that diagreeable Kageyama pissy face he always wore before clearing his throat. Atsumu looked up confused, and then Hinata shoveled his chicken into his mouth, looked awkwardly off to the side before giving a thumbs up “Power Curry is a service ace” he delivered flatly, without inflection._

_Atsumu had stared at him, before his nose wrinkled and he turned his head to the side and let out a bright soft laugh, shaking his head. Hinata beamed at him. “It’s creepy how good ya are at impersonating Tobio-kun” So Hinata did as many more Kageyama impressions as he could, until he had Atsumu howling with laughter, feeling better finally._

* * *

Atsumu was still giggling a bit, his face a bit red as he wiped at his face, at least his grin was back in full force. Hinata liked his teeth. They stared at each other for another minute, both of them all smiley and a bit drunk.

Atsumu nudged him with his foot. “Okay, we discussed my trauma, your turn Shouyou-kun”

Hinata slumped on the couch, nearly spilling his beer on himself “But I don’t wanna. Let’s keep talking about your love life”

“Let’s not” Atsumu said cheerfully, poking him with his big toe again “C’mon I told you all about my fraught relationship with my mom, now you tell me about your mom’s boyfriend” He raises his eyebrows in a ‘go on’ gesture.

“Hnnnghhnn” Hinata groans, throwing his arm over his eyes “Do I have to?” Atsumu just prods him once more “Ugh fine. I guess you heard my conversation the other day?”

“Nope, but yer voice sounded frustrated, and then I didn’t know it was possible to rage skip, but there ya were, skipping like ya wanted to murder someone” Atsumu says brightly, happy to be out of the hotseat.

Hinata has had five video calls with his family since he went into quarantine. Three of them were with his mom, Natsu, and the boyfriend, and the two others had been just with Natsu so the two of them could complain to each other about the boyfriend and something he had said in the other three calls to offend the young Hinatas.

The last conversation hadn’t been bad-bad, it had just been frustrating. He’d ask his mom how she was doing, or if she was keeping in touch with her board game group during quarantine, and his mom would have barely responded before the boyfriend would jump in with “Oh and she does this and that, and she talks to her one friend, A-ko and B-ko so much, it’s soooooo feminine in here, it’s too bad Shouyou hadn’t come around, then he could talk like a man to someone else, because ladies, right?”

And Hinata had worn a tight smile and switched the subject to Natsu and how school was going remotely and then the boyfriend jumped in to talk about how Natsu needed to be on the internet aaaaallll day, and how back in his day kids learned in a classroom. And yes, Hinata didn’t like the man, and yes he was being very irritating in general, but Hinata would have held his tongue, if he hadn’t seen his sister press her lips together and her face get hot, and her eyes tear up in repressed frustration, like his own sometimes did. Oh hell no.

“We’re in a pandemic!” Hinata had said too loudly and sharply, cutting the boyfriend off “Natsu can’t go to school, because it is closed, and she’s a good student (a lie) so she goes online to take her course materials” And then because he was on a roll, and Hinata is really an inertia kind of guy, added “Also, do you mind letting my mom and Natsu tell their own stories? If I wanted your opinion, I’d ask. So be a grown up and wait your turn”

The boyfriend had gone red in the face, like he was embarrassed and mad, and his mom had given Hinata a big scolding about respect, and she doesn’t know where this comes from sometimes, and honestly Shouyou, he’s trying to get to know you, could you at least try? So Hinata had pretended he needed to go get a package, hung up the phone, and then stormed out of his bedroom and went into the makeshift gym and started skipping because when he got mad he needed to expel his energy somehow, and this seemed the most efficient and unobtrusive way to do it.

Hinata heaves a sigh and sits up, resentfully pushing his feet into Atsumu’s, who pushed right back “He makes her happy, I guess” He started lamely “I think they’ve been together almost a year now, he moved in for the pandemic, because heaven forbid he look after himself- Did you know my mom was making him lunches, like everyday, so of course he’d want to move in, have his own personal maid service” He spat. Huh, apparently he had a lot of feelings about this.

Atsumu gestured for him to continue, taking a sip of his drink. Hinata finishes off his own beer, reaching for another “He’s fine, in spite of being an old world, man’s man who probably doesn’t wash behind his ears enough” He said with a sniff, taking a sip. Atsumu cracked a grin at that. “And he contributes around the house, by puttering around in the yard doing basically nothing while drinking a beer and smoking. And then he’ll sometimes “cook” dinner for them, but make a huge mess in the kitchen, which Natsu has to clean up, and the food isn’t even good” He heaves a breath, maybe he could convince Atsumu to let Nastu come live with them, she could do her schoolwork here. Atsumu liked her, Natsu had said she would replace Atsumu for her brother in a heartbeat, because he wasn’t so useless and had cool hair, breaking Hinata’s heart just a bit but... His mom would kill him.

“Natsu-chan giving you play by plays?” Atsumu asked, an amused grin on his face.

“Obviously” Hinata swirls his can, eyeing the contents “That and he’s a pushy, the man is the center of the household misogynist, who also implied I must be some sort of jumping fairy for playing volleyball” He gives a bitter twist to his mouth, intending it to be a smile.

Atsumu’s smile is wiped from his face, his jaw quirking as his brows furrow “What?”

“Oh not to worry Atsumu-san, he and my mom had a conversation, he’s far more ‘tolerant’ now, and asks if I find every man he can think of attractive” His chest is heaving and his heart is aching as he finally manages “But don’t worry, that whole me finding men attractive thing probably only happened because I didn’t have a STRONG male role model in my life, so thank fuck he’s around now”

Hinata’s fingers itch, he wants to start worming them into the fabric of the couch, to peel away at something, so he can stop peeling away layers of himself. Because now he’s getting awfully close to the small hurts his mother, who loves him very much but is only human, has given him over the years. Not understanding or supporting his volleyball, being upset that he’d choose that over staying home with her, because she has her own issues with abandonment after his father, and Hinata wanting to fly meant she was being left alone, that he must be selfish, must be like his father. But the most recent open wound in the space in his heart reserved for his mother is that she’s choosing this man, who’s a light hearted bigot and sexist douche, over her own son.

Hinata finally looks up at Atsumu, and blinks in surprise. Atsumu has gone completely still, but his head is ducked and his jaw is clenched and his eyebrows are down. He’s furious. “Atsumu-san?” He calls softly.

Atsumu looks up at him, his fists clenched “What a fuckin’ asshole” He spits, making Hinata sit up straighter “How fuckin’ dare this fuckin’ homephobe talk ta ya like that” He’s shaking his head, and Hinata is watching him with a little bit of awe, getting mad for Hinata where he hasn’t been able to “Also, and I’m only kinda sorry ta say this, but can yer Ma get her head out of her ass? Cause she should be ashamed that yer getting treated like this by someone in her own home” Atsumu stands up and begins pacing, similar to Hinata in that he can’t be inert in his rage either. He’s in a full on rant now.

“Not ta mention how Natsu-chan must be fuckin’ feelin’! Ya know what, this is real bad modelin’ and shit, what if Natsu-chan grows up and thinks, ‘ya! This is a healthy relationship and gets walked all over and treated like shit, What’s yer Ma going ta do then, huh?” Atsumu is speaking too loudly, really invested in his rant, his cheeks flushed as his hands whip around to emphasize his points.

Hinata is staring up at him, and he goes from anger to surprise, to awe, to now his heart is feeling really full and a bit soppy and wet because no one has ever gotten so angry on his behalf before. People have been offended for Hinata, that comes with the territory when you’re a small man playing pro sports, and you happen to like other men. But he’s never had someone try to defend him from the big hurts, the ones you don’t talk about it. Like fraught relationships with moms, or your concerns about their boyfriends.

“Atsumu-san” He calls softly, feeling his voice getting clogged with tears, But Atsumu is still mid-rant and doesn’t hear him.

“Ya know what else, and I’m just goin’ ta come right out and say it-” Hinata grabs the sleeve of his sweater, grabbing his attention. Atsumu takes in his face “Oh, shit, you’re crying, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run my mouth-”

But Hinata cuts him off moving to stand and wrapping his arms around Atsumu, pressing his wet face into his chest. Atsumu stills for a moment, hands making an aborted gesture to hold Hinata, before hanging limply at his sides again. Hinata huffs a sigh, letting Atsumu go, to wrap Atsumu’s arms around himself, before he tucks back into the hug. Atsumu lets out a breath that was maybe supposed to be a laugh, but is more like a sigh.

After a moment Hinata says “Thank you”

Atsumu makes a choked sound “No, I shouldn’t have ripped into yer mom so much-”

Hinata shakes his head, still pressing his face into Atsumu’s chest. He’s allowing himself to just this once indulge in Atsumu smell, because it really is very comforting “She needed to be ripped into a bit. Thank you for being mad on my behalf” He tilts his head up, finding Atsumu’s face just a few inches away, cheeks dusted with pink and his eyes hooded. He really is very very attractive “No one’s ever been so angry for me before, it was nice”

Atumu looks down at him, wry smile on his lips, his eyes crinkle a bit in the corners “I dunno if I woulda called that nice, but I’m glad it made ya feel a bit better”

Hinata feels his own eyes droop a little, his smile going wide and dopey “A lot better” And then because he’s worried he’s about to do something very stupid that will make this very awkward, he pushes his face back into Atsumu’s chest, and breathes him in for a few seconds.

They stand in silence, until eventually Hinata says “This is nice, I was getting really touch starved, so thanks for that too”

He peeks up to find Atsumu staring at him blankly “Touch starved?” He asks.

Hinata laughs, taking a step away, but still close enough to hold on to Atsumu’s arm “Yeah, like when you haven’t had someone touch you in awhile, and your skin gets all tingly when it finally happens. It used to be for me I’d go for a haircut, and when the hairdresser placed a hand on my neck to tilt my head around, I’d get goose bumps” Hinata lays his hand flat on Atsumu’s forearm, rubbing his thumb along the underside, watching goose flesh prickle up. Atsumu is watching him.

“I didn’t know there was a word fer that” He says thickly. He’s really blushing now.

Hinata just smiles up at him “Yeah, we all crave touch, to some degree”

“Yeah” Atsumu says softly, staring down at where Hinata’s hand still rests on his forearm.

Hinata very much wants to ask Atsumu if he can kiss him, or if he can just keep touching him like this, or maybe even just fall asleep on top of him, breathing in that Atsumu smell that is so so good. But he doesn’t, because he wants to continue living here, and he’s a bit drunk, and everyone knows drunk Hinata is an idiot who shouldn’t be listened to.

Hinata steps away, breaking the spell and turns to the kitchen “I want salty snacks!” he chirps “And maybe something sweet, ooooh do we still have those pudding tubes? You want some? Maybe we can watch a movie?”

Hinata doesn’t see the way Atsumu stares after him, hand touching his arm where Hinata’s fingers had been a moment before, a regretful twist to his mouth. With a sigh Atsumu says “Yeah, gimme carrots too”


	4. Social Distancing

Atsumu comes down the stairs one morning a week and a bit after their heart to heart to find Hinata clean dancing, dance cleaning? A deep and thorough clean of the kitchen, with accompanying gloves and apron, while he listens to music on headphones and hops around to a rhythm no one but Hinata can hear. He’s a better dancer than Atsumu would have thought, though maybe that’s not surprising, Hinata has always had alarming control of his body on the court.

When a hand is laid on Hinata’s shoulder, he jumps, thankfully not to his full height, lest he knock himself out on the ceiling, and whirls around inadvertently slapping Atsumu in the face with one of his yellow dish gloves, unfortunately wet and sudsy. It makes a wet thwap sound as it collides with Atsumu’s face.

“Aw fuck” Atsumu’s mouth moves to say, but Hinata cannot hear it because he is still listening to a boppy tune in his headphones. He stares at Atsumu in bemusement and he says something else, rolls his eyes, and then makes the universal motion for ‘take your headphones out please’, so Hinata complies.

“What?” Hinata says, now that his music is off, his dance cleaning interrupted.

“I was curious about what you’re listening to” Atsumu says, grabbing a dish towel to pat at his face, bending down to use the reflective surface of the microwave to fluff up his hair a bit.

“Oh. Why?”

Atsumu gives him a funny look “‘Cause you looked like you were having fun?”

“Oh! Yeah” Hinata grins, connecting his phone to the bluetooth speaker he’d bought to put on the counter ‘In case we ever want to listen to music together while we cook Atsumu-san’ he’d told Atsumu a week ago.

The first wail of a synthesizer goes up, announcing the song, before the beat sets in, moving boppy and fast. As the music ramps up, Hinata is already bouncing on the balls of his feet “I don’t know, it just kind of makes me want to dance” He starts shimmying his shoulders in time to the beat, making Atsumu laugh, who himself is already nodding along to the beat.

And then the chorus starts up, and Hinata bounces out of the kitchen and starts throwing his arms up and around in time with the beat. Atsumu is wearing a big grin on his face as he follows suit, just as coordinated as Hinata, as he punch dances to the side. They’re both laughing at each other as the second chorus stars, Hinata hopping up on the couch and and spinning around on the cushions, Atsumu looks up at him with a grin, shaking his head in time with the beat.

When the song is over and they’re both breathlessly laughing in the living room Atsumu asks him “Where’d you find this song? I like it”

Hinata pulls out his phone again, stopping the next pop song from starting and pulls open BikBok “So there’s this meme going around right now” He says by way of explaining, showing Atsumu a couple of examples.

Atsumu has a thoughtful expression on his face, before his eyebrows flick up and a devious grin spreads across his face “I have an idea, but it’s going to take some coercion of our friends”

Hinata brightens, his own grin turning mischievous “You know I’m always up for a little peer pressure” So Atsumu tells him his plan.

\--

Hinata and Atsumu become the nexus for an explosion of pro volleyball players participating in BikBok memes. As with many of things they do, it starts with the Black Jackals getting in on the action. They talk to Bokuto about it first who is as excited about the idea as they figured he’d be. Inunaki agrees that it’ll be a good time killer, and to make sure their fans don’t forget about them. Even Oliver and Tomas respond from the otherside of the world. Surprising them most has to be that after a ton of back and forth in the Black Jackals group chat, Sakusa says he and Komori will contribute too.

It starts with Hinata and Atsumu’s synchronized dance to the same boppy pop song that ends with them dabbing and laughing, they post it online and dredge up a ton of excitement from fans and other bored quaratiners. Next comes Bokuto’s dance routine to the same song, which he does with Akaashi in the background doing his work, entirely ignoring Bokuto’s hops and spins in front of him. When Hinata sees it he laughs so hard he cries. Oliver does his own rendition of the dance with a cowboy hat on out in a field full of cows on his parents cattle farm in the US. Hinata prods Atsumu that he’d probably look pretty cool in a cowboy hat too, making him bat at Hinata’s hands to complain “I ain’t a cattle farmer Shouyou-kun!”

The most popular video from the Black Jackals ends up being from Sakusa, who (probably from a little bit of coercion on the part of Komori) is dressed like a k-pop idol and does his dance blowing the rest of them out of the water. Sakusa smugly lets them know afterwards that he’d actually been a trained dancer before he got into volleyball when he was a kid. Atsumu and Hinata had cried no fair! Choosing to up their game with different pop hit and another synchronized dance, this time with more ridiculous flips by Hinata and lifts by Atsumu. The video is titled “Eat it, Omi-kun!”

This seemed to get competitive juices flowing amongst all the nationally ranked volleyball players, because shortly after #eatitomikun is trending across social media and players from across the country were posting their own videos. Hyakuzawa with his wife. Kiryuu-san with Goshiki and a spliced together video with the rest of the Green Rockets. Hoshiumi posted one with Hirugami that hilariously had Hirugami’s head cut out of the shot as it focused on their height difference. They posted a follow up video of the same routine, this time focusing on Hirugami’s head where you could just see the top of Hoshiumi’s white hair in the frame. A super high production value video was posted by Tendou of Ushijima walking through his house, muffled music in the background, for a full minute before he opens a door and the muted music suddenly gets loud and Ushijima starts doing the robot right as the video cuts off.

Hinata and Atsumu had laid on the floor laughing, rewatching that one several times. Once they’d finally calmed down enough Atsumu had asked “Ushiwaka lives with Tendou?” Hinata had shrugged, he had no idea, just knew they were friends.

As more and more of these incredible videos poured in from other players and fans alike, Hinata finally received his first set of instructions from Aone about how to go about setting up the downstairs bathroom to actually renovate it, including tools they’d need. Hinata had shown Atsumu the message, and they’d agreed they’d pause their ongoing online dance battle to get to work.

They ordered the tools and supplies they lacked and then watched the demo videos Aone had filmed for them for the steps they’d need to take, including sanding, and removing tile and taking measurements, before finally setting to work. While Hinata was an extremely physical and very fit person, he still found this particular type of work, hunching over tile and chipping at it, or sanding a spot until smooth, engaged muscles he wasn’t used to moving.

After the third day he and Atsumu lay out on the veranda, cool drinks in hand as they both complained about their various aches and pains, sweaty from the work they’d done that morning. “You know,” Hinata drawls, his eyes shut. Atsumu hums at him acknowledgement “It would have been really nice to have that bath right about now”

Atsumu grunts and bats his hand at Hinata’s forearm, too tired to be vicious “Yeah, well. Just means we’ll have earned it when it’s ready” He shifts and grunts again “Any more hunching and I’m going to throw out my back” He complains, reaching up to massage his shoulder.

Hinata cracks open an eye at that “You’re 24, you’re not going to throw out your back”

“You don’t know, it’s really tight and sore and it gets all stiff in the mornings now”

Hinata pulls himself up on his elbows “You should stretch more then, we can do some yoga” he offers.

Atsumu’s face scrunches up “I’ve been trying that, it ain’t working” and then he sighs “I miss Koseki-chan” Koseki was one of the Black Jackals trainers and a trained massage therapist. She was a woman in her 40s with rough hewn hands who could force any tight knot of muscle to release forcibly. Hinata had always found her too rough, always finding himself sore after her ministrations, but Atsumu and Bokuto loved her.

“You miss being bruised by her scary claws?”

Atsumu makes an offended sound, rolling onto his side “How dare you say that about Koseki-chan! She’s the best masseuse I’ve ever had!”

Hinata looks at him sidelong “I’ve had better” He says closing his eyes again and tipping his head up.

“I doubt it”

Hinata presses his lips together, this is a stupid thing for them to bicker about, they’re both just sweaty and probably hungry. “It doesn’t really matter, I give better massages than Koseki-san, let’s just agree to disagree and grab something to eat”

Atsumu is looking at him through narrowed eyes, before he snorts and flops back down onto his back “Sure, Shouyou-kun. I’m sure you’re a very good masseuse”

There is something in his tone that perfectly and firmly presses Hinata’s competitive button. He hates when people sarcastically question his ability, more than anything. It drives him to prove them wrong, no matter how stupid the challenge. He’s gritting his teeth, trying to swallow his tongue so he keeps his mouth shut, and yet without fail “It’s true, I trained for it while I was in Brazil” He says sharply. It was true, as part of his self care training he’d started taking anatomy courses at a local college and slowly it transformed into him auditing a few massage courses. He had only ever been told that he gave the best massages by everyone he’s ever given one to.

Atsumu cracks an eye open at him, and then raises his eyebrows disbelievingly “Sure, whatever you say”

Hinata pulls himself up to seating “I am” At Atsumu’s lack of response he hisses “I can prove it to you”

Atsumu blinks his eyes open at him, his brows knitting together “Huh?”

“I’m going to give you massage”

Atsumu also sits up then “Uhh, I wasn’t asking-”

He’s already in too deep, and he’s issued a challenge and Hinata doesn’t back down from challenges, even ones he makes up himself, so he’s going to follow through “Yeah I know, but I’m going to make you say I’m better at massages than Koseki-san” And then he stands and moves towards the door.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Atsumu is still staring at him dumbly.

Hinata pulls the patio door open “I’m going to get a mat and lotion and then I’m going to give you the best massage of your life” He throws over his shoulder like it’s not a big deal. Atsumu makes a sound in the back of his throat but doesn’t say anything.

\--

Hinata realizes once he’s gotten Atsumu laying down on his front, his shirt off and his sweatpants slung low on his hips, that perhaps he’d made a gross miscalculation. It had been one thing for Atsumu to sarcastically assume Hinata absolutely didn’t know how to give massages, it was entirely another thing to prove him wrong. Theoretical versus applied. Especially when it required Atsumu be shirtless, waiting prone for Hinata to put his hands on him like this. Hinata’s pretty sure he’s had dirty dreams that started just like this. Aw hell. He’d been doing so good too, not fantasizing about Atsumu, at least not when he was jerking it.

This was always his problem, never thinking things through, always leaping first. He needed to be more thoughtful and slow down, instead of jumping into giving unasked for massages. Oh god was he sexually harassing Atsumu? Was this inappropriate workplace behaviour? Atsumu didn’t seem to mind at least, he’d shrugged and whipped his shirt off before rolling onto his stomach and pillowing his head on his crossed arms.

He’s taking too long now isn’t he? Atsumu is probably lying there, thinking damn, what a big freaking weirdo looming over me while he ogles my back like a perv. How could I have let him into my house, it was obviously inevitable he’d try and fondle me. Hinata pinches the skin of his calf to try and get himself to snap out of it. It only kind of works, but he manages to convince his synapses to fire enough to pick up the bottle of lotion, squirt some into his hands and then rub them together. Hinata pauses, his hands hovering over Atsumu’s back, feeling like he’s about to touch the poor man with a pair of defibrillators.

When Hinata does place his hands down in between Atsumu’s shoulder blades he definitely feels a little spark of electricity whizz up past his fingers and into his brain, but it’s enough to make him alert and start focusing on his task. Applying pressure into his palms, he pushes up along Atsumu’s spine, before dragging his hands down, flaring his fingers out to cover as much of the expanse as he can, marvelling at just how freaking broad Atsumu is. Hinata begins working his thumbs in the way he was taught, using them to dig into the meat on either side of Atsumu’s spine, starting low and gradually moving back upwards.

After a few minutes of this, Atsumu having been silent the whole time, Hinata clears his throat and says gently “You know, it’s better if you make some sounds so I know what’s working and not. You can give me any feedback you need” Atsumu, whose head had been cocked to the side, shifts to press his face into his arms, down on the mat. He makes an assenting grunting noise, making Hinata smile.

Sliding his hands up he grabs handfuls of Atsumu’s shoulder muscles and begins to knead them. There we go, he isn’t rubbing his hands against his sexy teammate. No, Hinata is currently kneading a large ball of dough, making the gluten strands strong and other stuff that bread making video tried to teach him last week. This is fine, he can do this, he won’t be distracted by inappropriate thoughts, and hey what a nice thing he is doing for his friend, who is bread dough, and not extremely attractive right now.

And then Hinata shifts his thumbs to knead them into the connective tissue at the base of Atsumu’s shoulder blades, and Atsumu makes the most erotic, desperate groaning sound Hinata has ever heard in his life. He freezes, his face feeling hot as he stares down at Atsumu’s head. Hinata can just see the corners of Atsumu’s cheeks are dusted red, probably equally as embarrassed about the sounds he’d just made as Hinata is to have heard it.

Hinata licks his lips, and finds his voice can’t shift beyond a rasp “Was that a good groan or a bad groan?”

“Good” Atsumu wheezes.

“More like that?”

“Mhmm”

“Okay” And then Hinata gets back to work, firmly rubbing his hands down Atsumu’s back once more, digging his fingers in hard, eliciting absolutely delicious sounds from the back of Atsumu’s throat, some of them sounding involuntary, the way Atsumu seems to choke on them as they stumble out of his mouth. Hinata has never been so aware he hasn’t been laid in a month. And that includes when he’d gotten to Brazil but had been too shy about his english and portugese to flirt with the men he’d found attractive.

Hinata had jerked off a lot in the last month, and he thought he’d been pretty slick about it. Waiting for Atsumu to go on a run later in the day if he didn’t join Hinata in the morning. Or waiting for him to hop in for one of his ungodly long ass showers where he blared his music. He’d even had a couple of instances of choosing to take care of himself when he woke up hard early early in the morning, it usually let him focus better when he meditated anyways. But there was just no beating the feel of someone else’s skin on yours, the noises they made, hands pulling at hair, breath intermingling. And good god giving Atsumu a massage was like the PG-13 version of everything Hinata had been fantasizing about, and this little taste was going to drive him nuts. Especially when Atsumu kept on making those pornographic little hums and sighs.

Did Atsumu always sound like this? When he was working with one of the trainers? Or when he sighed? Or was Hinata just really really horny? Hard to tell. Hinata felt a twinge in his lower back, signalling that the position he was holding was starting to strain him. When he’d been training he’d learned on massage tables, or when he’d done this for partners and friends in the past, he’d just cheerfully straddle their butts as he got to work. However, he was a smidge worried that Atsumu would probably feel Hinata’s erection pressed up into his ass, and although it hadn’t been officially added to their house rules, he was confident dry humping your roommate was a big no-no.

Ignoring the twinge, and adjusting his weight back onto his ankles, Hinata slid his hands back up, taking a moment to massage Atsumu’s trapezius muscles, earning him a delicious little grunt, before sliding his hands up Atsumu’s neck to pull at the taught muscles there. Atsumu gave a pleased little sigh, motivating Hinata to continue. That was probably the wrong choice. The right thing would have been to acknowledge he was getting inappropriately excited and excuse himself, but each little exhalation and sound from Atsumu felt like the sweetest praise in the world, and he wanted to soak up every last drop.

After another few minutes of this, Hinata’s hands becoming gradually gentler, Atsumu’s breathing evening out, his sounds turning softer and a bit sleepier, until finally Hinata’s fingers felt too tired to continue. He gave one last shoulder to waist rub, and finally sat back on his heels. Atsumu made a sleepy inquisitive sound. Hinata, holding the lotion bottle in front of himself to try mask his excitement said softly “I’m going to go shower” And then because he was very stupid, trailed his fingers down Atsumu’s back as he stood, earning him another sweet little sharp inhalation, that made Hinata’s face flush red. He retreated into the house and bolted upstairs, throwing himself into the bathroom, his chest heaving.

He looked down at himself before he sulkily tugged his shorts down, whipping off his shirt and turning the water on. He needed to be fast about it, lest Atsumu think something weird was going on with him. Stepping into the water, he didn’t even bother lathering himself up as he began tugging at himself. If he guiltily imagined Atsumu making those groaning little cries into his mouth while he did so, no one was the wiser.

* * *

  
_In Hinata’s second year, Karasuno had lost to Inarizaki at the Spring Nationals on the third day of the tournament, once again preventing Hinata from seeing the other side of the event horizon of that damned third day. He’d thought this year was going to be it, they’d make it to center court. They were a better team than they’d been last year, more deadly and dangerous than ever before. He’d wanted to watch his friends make it, to take on giants at their side._

_Instead Inarizaki had matched them point for point, taking it in the third set. After the match Miya Atsumu had approached the net, said something smug to Kageyama and then given Hinata a wink and tossed a “Seeya later Shouyou-kun” over his shoulder as he walked away. Hinata had been infuriated._

_He still was, sulking and ruminating about that moment above all others a week after their loss. A week after Noya and Tanaka stopped needing to come to practice. And thinking about that made his heart feel heavy, so he clutched at his irritation with Miya Atsumu like a lifeline. And then he’d gotten the latest edition of Volleyball Monthly in the mail, and there was a multi page spread about nationals, and a full page dedicated to none other than the apple of his ire, Miya Atsumu, future setter for the MSBY Black Jackals._

_Hinata had read that article probably 20 times, finding himself getting angrier and angrier, wanting to rip the magazine in half. Instead he’d ripped the offending article out, crumpled it up, before smoothing the paper out and glowering at the picture of Atsumu with his cocksure grin on his face. Hinata wanted desperately to wipe it off his stupid face. And the next thing Hinata knew his hands were in his shorts and he was jerking himself off furiously, imaging himself biting Atsumu, pulling at his hair, turning that over confident grin into something a bit more desperate and eager, making him beg for more and-_

_Then Hinata came harder than he ever had in his life, stars bleeding into his vision as he shuddered, laying flat on his bed, his breathing only barely starting to normalize. He looked at the photo of Atsumu again, noticing he’d managed to get a bit of his come splashed on the corner of the sheet, right on the pictured Atsumu’s chest. That had embarrassed him more than anything else, making him wipe the sheet clean with a tissue._

* * *

Things have been... weird? Tense? Uncomfortable? After the massage. Sure, Atsumu had been appreciative after the fact, and after some needling had admitted that Hinata was probably, maybe just as good as Koseki, maybe. But there was this buzz of super charged energy when they were in the room together now, like a static shock waiting to unload itself. And he’s pretty sure he’s not imagining it, because Atsumu is being a bit weird too.

It wasn’t like before, where Hinata had been acting like a leper trying not to step on Atsumu’s toes. And it wasn’t like their intimacy making talk from a few weeks ago, where they’d unloaded a lot of baggage, and seemed to press closer to each other, finding more comfort and humour in one another than before. This was like. It was like they were orbiting each other. Both of them hyper aware of the other in their space. If Hinata laid sprawled on the couch, playing some game with his headphones in, he’d see Atsumu out of the corner of his eye, surreptitiously watching him from the kitchen. While they worked on the bathroom, they seemed to always almost bump into each other and get weird and apologetic about it, whereas earlier thatc week they’d been able to work shoulder to shoulder with no problem.

Hinata could feel an impending something coming, and he wasn’t sure how to go about addressing it. He wasn’t sure Atsumu would appreciate him opening up a conversation by starting it with “Hey, sorry I gave you that massage, it seemed to awaken some intense sexual feelings in me that I’m having trouble managing and I’m being a big fucking weirdo now, thanks” but also he didn’t want to start a conversation about whether or not they were okay? Because they were? They still laughed and ate dinner together and went on runs and sometimes Atsumu would deign to get up early enough to meditate with him. Just. Stupid buzzing sexual electricity. Or maybe it wasn’t sexual. Maybe Atsumu just really wanted another massage and didn’t know how to ask, but then Hinata would undoubtedly come in his shorts on the spot when he asked, and then Atsumu would know!

He’d know that in the last week Hinata's had three wet dreams starring Atsumu. He’d know that Hinata had started tracing his back with his eyes, visualizing with perfect accuracy where Atsumu had little moles and blemishes. He’d know that Hinata had pressed his face into one of Atsumu’s dry towels, smelling him as he’d jerked off like a fucking creep the other day. He’d know that Hinata had dropped all pretenses of trying to refocus when he masturbated, and just let his imagination run rampant with all the things he’d like to do to Atsumu.

And then Hinata would start thinking it was just him, but then he’d catch Atsumu staring at him thoughtfully. Or they’d run into each other and Atsumu would leap back, his face flushed as he apologized. They were certainly both hyper aware of each other.

The weirdness continued unabated until fatefully, like an avenging angel descending from heaven to distract themselves from each other, Kageyama joined in on #eatitomikun.

“That fucker!” Atsumu snarled, stomping into the house from the gym, ripping his headphones off his head. His head whipped around to find Hinata splayed on the ground, feet up on the couch, reading an old volleyball monthly. Hinata blinked owlishly at him “Didja fuckin’ see what Tobio-kun did?”

Hinata had sat up, because no he had not, and let Atsumu show him his screen. It was a video that used some sort of bad green screen, that played a patchy video of Hinata and Atsumu’s original video, as it concluded a bored looking Kageyama held up a sheet of paper with a giant red zero on it. Hinata made a choked sound in the back of his throat, for one that was actually pretty funny, but HOW DARE KAGEYAMA!? Atsumu swiped to the next video which was the same thing with their ‘Eat it, Omi-kun’ video, except when Kageyama finished the video, holding up another big red zero, he looked into the camera and sighed like ‘This is the best you got?’.

Hinata and Atsumu both complained and cussed about what an absolute bastard Kageyama could be, even halfway around the world, and started plotting their revenge. They figured they’d give him a taste of his own medicine. Hinata made the curry while Atsumu defaced a red t-shirt to slap the number 20 on to it with a white marker. Then they both compared their best pissy Kageyama faces in a mirror, and decided Hinata was probably the better of the two of them, having waaaay more Kageyama experience between them. Atsumu helped get Hinata’s hair ready. And then finally they filmed their little commercial.

They did a dub of Kageyama’s power curry commercial, Hinata, his hair flattened by too much pomade, with some bits in the back sticking up like antennae, kept up his pinched brow and pouty mouth as he wolfed down the curry, looked off camera like he was distracted, and then mouthed Kageyama’s stupid power curry line with a lame thumbs up. They decided to add an artistic flourish and had Atsumu toss a volleyball at his head, cutting off the video on impact.

It was their most popular video by far, and they were both intensely pleased to see Kageyama sending them a text two days later that read “You guys are assholes” Hinata and Atsumu gave each other a near painful high five in their glee. And so they returned to their normal rhythms, both of them moving about like they hadn’t had a few days of weirdness, and going back to their usual comfortable hanging out and teasing each other and practice and pushing one another to train harder.

Until what Hinata would later refer to as ‘the Tuesday’.

\--

The day had started innocuous enough, Hinata had been in the mood to make some south american dishes to show off to Atsumu, both of them getting a bit bored with the rotation of balanced meals they had in their repertoire. So he’d decided he'd make some of the El Salvadorian pupusas Pedro had taught him to make, and then as a treat some manjar blanco pudding for after. After calling around he’d finally found a grocery store that carried the masa flour he needed, not too far away from Atsumu’s house.

So after Atsumu had joined him on his morning run, Hinata had eaten his breakfast, hopped in the shower, and then promised he’d be back after shopping, double checking if Atsumu needed anything. He’d just waved Hinata off, preening at some comments left on their Kageyama roast video, sipping his coffee before he went to go do his own shower.

So Hinata had left, face mask and gloves on (Sakusa would be so proud), and made his way to the little south american grocer that happened to be a nice 10 minute walk from Atsumu’s house. When he’d called and started talking to the owner in his slightly rusty Portugese, the man had been so excited, he’d promised to get everything ready for Hinata to pay for at the door, so he wouldn’t even have to go inside. Making this grocery trip infinitely faster than the ones he and Atsumu did at their regular store, where they needed to line up outside, waiting to be let in before they bustled around the store.

When he picked his items up and paid, he promised the very kindly owner that he’d definitely be coming back again, this had been his best grocery trip of the pandemic. Hinata turned on his heel and practically skipped back to the house, pleased to have made someone’s day brighter, and for the tasty treats he was going to be making later. It was the little things that made life so much better during quarantine.

He arrived home and heard the shower running upstairs, wondering if Atsumu was on his 1000th minute in there yet, or if he was just getting started. At least the second bathroom was almost complete. They were just waiting for a few more parts, including a new valve for the toilet and a faucet for the tub, and then it would basically be done, and Hinata would never have to suffer the indignity of banging on the door 45 minutes into Atsumu’s shower to complain he needed to pee. Simple pleasures.

He finished cleaning and putting away groceries and washing his hands, and hopped up the stairs, sliding into his room with the door open to take his hoodie off, fully intending to go back downstairs to play something on the Switch. He was about to head downstairs when he saw he had an email notification on his phone. Preferring to read and type using his laptop, he sprawled out on the futon and read the very nice message from Nice and Heitor, giving him an update on how they were doing and what trouble little Aline was getting into. Hinata was delighted to see new pictures of Aline, who hero worshipped Ninja Shouyou. She was his favorite fan by miles, he’d sent her new ‘Hinata 21’ Black Jackals jersey’s as she grew out of them. Oh, it might be that time again, she was getting so big~!

And then the bathroom door opened, and steam billowed out into the hallway, and Hinata flicked a glance at his open doorway in time to see a well muscled leg step into view, and then forward momentum pulled the rest of Atsumu into view, towel draped over his head, and nothing else.

Naked! Atsumu was naked! Hinata could see with great vivid detail, because good god sometimes his eyes managed to process information at lightning speeds, the way muscle corded up from Atsumu’s ankles, up to his knees and over his thighs, up beyond the point where his shorts would normally cut off, up to thick and well muscled flanks. And oh god Hinata had always thought Atsumu had nice thighs, but his ass was criminal. Criminal! He caught the impression of shadowed hair dusting over his groin, and then nicely cut, extremely lickable hips, to the strong core muscles, and of course that fucking adorable mole on his right shoulder.

And then because Hinata’s door was usually not left open, Atsumu flicked a glance inside, and caught Hinata staring at him. So he froze and stared right back. And then both their faces were heating, Atsumu’s eyes wide before he gasped a “Fuck” and bolted into his room, the door slamming behind him.

Hinata lay on his futon, laptop still sitting on his chest, eyes still watching the doorway, still a bit entranced, almost kind of waiting for Atsumu to return, but also kind of lost in his vivid recall of how nice Atsumu’s body was. He felt all hot and tingly all over again, shoving his laptop off him, he rolled over onto his stomach and tried to will the half hard erection in his shorts away. He tapped his forehead into the futon trying to clear the image of glistening wet, naked Atsumu out of his head. It wasn’t working. Instead his brain gleefully replayed the way Atsumu’s blush had bloomed just as bright on his chest as it had on his cheeks.

Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! He’d just finally stopped fantasizing about Atsumu sounds, and now this setback. His brain helpfully tried to visualize how big Atsumu must be, based on the edge of the silhouette he’d seen. Perhaps he could measure with his mouth? Hinata snarled, smacking his hands into his head and viciously ruffling his hair. Stop it, stop it, stop it.

He is a teammate. He is a friend. He is a roommate and they’re supposed to limit the amount of interaction they have outdoors. Hinata is not allowed to fuck Atsumu. He probably doesn’t even want to- His brain supplies those pleased little gasps from his massage, the way Atsumu had watched him when Hinata had explained being touch starved to him, how his fingers had jolted like they’d been shocked when Hinata had gone to grab a tool at the same time as him. -Nope! No! Absolutely not. He needed to get his mind off of Atsumu, right the hell now.

Hinata pushed to a stand, viciously dialing the mom’s house line because nothing would kill his mood more if that fucking boyfriend answered. He stomped out of the room, casting one last glance at Atsumu’s closed door before heading downstairs and walking into the garage, because at least that’s outside adjacent and it’s the farthest point in the house from Atsumu’s bedroom.

The dial tone rings a third time before it stops abruptly. Ah sweet relief, it’s like the cold slimey dread had completely washed away the liquid fire pumping through his veins “Hi!” He says brightly “Is my mom or Natsu there?” Nothing quite like talking to the boyfriend to kill all sense of attraction and desire.

\--

It is after 3pm and Hinata is starting to worry. Atsumu hadn’t come down for lunch, even when he mentioned that he made extras, and he hadn’t answered the text message Hinata had sent earlier, checking to see if he was okay. Grabbing the rice balls he’d slapped together earlier, Hinata padded up the stairs and made his way down the hall, stopping in front of Atsumu’s room. He knocks softly “Atsumu-san?”

No response.

He sighs “I brought you food, you should probably eat, it might make you feel better” He calls through the door. Hinata can vaguely hear shifting of fabric, and then a sudden soft whump against the door, rattling it. Hinata scowls “Did you just throw a pillow?”

No response.

Hinata growls in annoyance “You know, I’m trying to be nice and respectful, but it’s not like I’m the one who walked around naked and is being weird about it”

There is a pause, and then several whumps as Atsumu undoubtedly starts throwing all of his bedding and maybe some books at the door.

Irritated, Hinata grabs the door handle and twists, surprised to find it unlocked, if it even had a lock in the first place, and pushes the door open, shoving Atsumu’s bedding and clothing he’d tossed at the door out of the way. His mind briefly has a tiny little battle, warring with itself over whether it wants Atsumu to still be naked or not. It doesn’t matter much, Atsumu is cocooned in his blanket laying on his side, his toes and tips of his hair the only thing visible. _Please (don’t) be naked under there._

“Go away” His voice is muffled by the blanket.

“No, eat something”

“Dun’ wanna”

“Atsumu-san, this isn’t even the most embarrassing thing I’ve seen you do” Hinata says, putting the plate of onigiri on the dresser and his hands on his hips.

Atsumu somehow manages to sit up, tugging the blanket down enough so he can glare balefully at Hinata. The effect is dampened by the way his hair sticks up cutely all over. “Who’s embarrassed?” He sneers, still muffled by the blanket.

“The man currently sulking in his room for the last five hours”

Atsumu’s eyebrows pinch “I got nothin’ to be ashamed of” He huffs with narrowed eyes, pulling the blanket further down on his face. No he does not, Hinata’s mind supplies helpfully. Shut up!

Hinata blows a sigh through his nose, and does the incredibly brave thing of grabbing the plate, taking a step closer and placing it on the edge of the bed. Atsumu glowers at Hinata and then down at the plate, until his stomach makes a muffled gurgling sound, and he pouts as he wiggles his arm and shoulder loose, thank god (dammit) he’s wearing a t-shirt, swiping one of the onigiri and stuffing it in his mouth. He chews, still giving Hinata an appraising look.

Hinata leans against the doorframe and watches him right back, trying very hard to feel nothing as Atsumu licks his fingers before diving into the next onigiri “Knew you’d be hungry” He says instead, trying to distract himself.

Atsumu rolls his eyes ‘obviously’ before taking another large bite. Hinata blows another breath through his nose “Do you want to talk about it?”

Atsumu shoots him a look, his cheeks going pink at the corners, but he doesn’t slow his chewing. He swallows “Talk about what?”

Now it’s Hinata’s turn to roll his eyes, and then waits for Atsumu to move to take another bite, only a little maliciously “Okay, so we can just pretend like you didn’t just strut out of the bathroom naked, and then hide in your bedroom for five hours”

As intended Atsumu chokes a bit, wheezing as he smacks his chest, before swallowing and giving Hinata a spiteful glare “The fuck?” He rasps, but picks up the third onigiri like he hadn’t almost just suffocated.

“Remember, first night? We agreed if we had issues we’d talk about it, instead of letting it fester” He gestured broadly at the room “I think this might be an awkward situation we should talk through”

Atsumu squints at him “I don’t see why...” He takes in Hinata’s skeptical look and sighs “It’s not a big deal, I like to drip dry sometimes” He says with a shrug, and then his eyes flash “The heck were you doin’ home? I thought you were going to the store?”

“Yeah it took me all of 20 minutes though” He says with a shrug, desperately trying not to conjure images of Atsumu and drip dry. Christ.

Atsumu is eyeing him thoughtfully “Why do you think we need to talk about this so bad?” Hinata can see the corner of his mouth turning up at the corner. He’s now on his fourth onigiri, and Hinata has a distinct impression of the tides turning around him. His cheeks feel warm, and upon noticing it they seem to get warmer.

Hinata scowls at him “Like I said, you hid away in your bedroom, and wrapped yourself up like this” He gestures at Atsumu’s blanket cocoon “For several hours and I was worried”

“Shouyou-kun” He hums thoughtfully, tilting his head. Oh hell. “Are you perhaps feeling weird about what you saw?” He asks innocently, but his eyebrows are anything but.

And now it’s Hinata’s turn to flush bright red “What, no! Why?” that was too much of a defensive squawk.

Atsumu’s grin turns absolutely lascivious, his eyes doing that droopy thing that makes Hinata want to bite him “Mmm, maybe you liked what you saw?”

Hinata sighs trying to be nonchalant despite his cheeks burning “You’re so annoying when you’re full of yourself” Atsumu just laughs, finishing off the last onigiri.

“Maybe so” But his grin is self satisfied and Hinata is starting to feel warm all over again and he needs to leave and maybe call his mom’s boyfriend again because then he’ll never feel another ounce of sexual desire in his life, for as long as he lives.

“Whatever, fix your hair” He tosses meanly over his shoulder as he walks away, earning himself a cheap point “I’m making dinner in a few hours”

Atsumu doesn’t even squawk in offense, just humming another “Sure, Shouyou-kun” At his retreating back. Hinata stomps down the stairs, trying to ignore the burning in his cheeks, praying to every god who will listen that he can weather Atsumu teasing him without trying to jump his bones.


	5. @RedditShips #Quarantine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter where they bang. Have fun y'all (-ε- )

It’s hard to put his finger on it, or at least he tries very hard to not put his finger on it, because Atsumu is absolutely incapable of being subtle, but Hinata is pretty sure he’s being flirted with. It started after ‘the Tuesday’, and has been ongoing ever since.

Hinata tries in vain to dismiss that thought as just the wild ravings of his raging libido, but then Atsumu will brush by him in the kitchen, pressing a hand into his low back. Or offering Hinata compliments on the clothes he’s wearing, which have not changed in the slightest in the last month and a bit they’ve been living together, and are mostly comprised of sweats and t-shirts anyways. Or the way Atsumu’s gaze lingers just a little too long when he’s made Hinata laugh. Or the way he just called him cute.

Hinata scrunches up his face to glower mightily at Atsumu, before his hair which was due for a haircut a month ago, floops into his face and he brushes it away with the back of his hand in irritation “There is nothing cute about grouting tile”

Atsumu who is still giving him that self satisfied grin of his, turns to continue his work connecting the plumbing “Sure Shouyou-kun” He hums. That’s become Atsumu’s new thing ‘Sure Shouyou-kun’ in that teasing disbelieving way of his. And Hinata’s not stupid, he knows Atsumu is pressing his buttons, but that doesn’t stop it from working.

Hinata at once wants to take those words and stuff them back down his throat while also maybe probably shoving Atsumu into the tiled wall and seal his mouth shut with his own so Atsumu can finally stop talking. Instead Hinata makes an irritated sound in the back of his throat and returns to his work, a bit more viciously than before. He ignores the way he can feel Atsumu’s grin widen across from him.

Atsumu has been fucking with him for five days, and Hinata is pretty sure he might end up killing his friend, because it feels deeply unfair for Atsumu to start teasing Hinata when he’s already at his breaking point. At some point in their conversation in Atsumu’s bedroom a few days ago, Atsumu had figured out that Hinata finds him attractive (which is very stupid, because Atsumu is a vain little idiot who frequently picks fights with Sakusa about who the most handsome person on their team is. Sakusa doesn’t argue with him, he’s just very pretty and it pisses Atsumu off). And since then either out of malice or boredom Atsumu has been trying to get rises out of Hinata.

Hinata has taken to staring at himself in the mirror after his showers in the morning and reciting a new mantra in portugese, lest Atsumu happen to overhear him “We do not kiss our teammates. We do not have sex with teammates. We do not fantasize about teammates. We do not-” Until he feels himself ready to start his day. And then it will all be fine and normal, until Atsumu walks by him while he’s sprawled on the couch, brushing a hand over his head and Hinata’s pulse electrifies, making him hyper aware of goddamned Atsumu. Again. One of these days he’s going to bite him the next time he tries to touch him. So much for going feral in isolation. Atsumu was bringing it out of him single handedly.

He’d texted Yachi complaining about his predicament, telling her he needed someone to be the voice of reason and remind him why he doesn’t smooch people on his team. She’d just sent back a “I’m rooting for you <3 <3” And Hinata had spitefully changed her contact info to “Yachi [Devil emojix5]”

He’d prodded Tsukki who told him to take his love problems elsewhere, preferably to shove them up his ass. At least that had been a distraction. Riling up Tsukki was always good for spending some of his nervous energy.

It was while he and Atsumu were watching a movie on the couch one night that he finally snapped. Hinata kept on shifting in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position that still let his feet be warm, but didn’t result in him bundling himself up in a blanket, or tucking his knees into his hoodie. He’d settled for wedging his toes under the cushion between them, which had been working kind of alright, at least his toes were fine, when Atsumu had tilted his head back and sighed, glaring over at Hinata “You’re being so annoying” And then he had the gall to pick up Hinata’s feet and plunk them in his lap, wrapping his big, dumb, talented, sexy hands around them to warm them.

Hinata stared at him. And stared at him. And then looked down at his feet, and then back up at Atsumu. And then the corners of Atsumu’s mouth had pulled up in that smug smirk he wore when he was really pleased with himself and Hinata snapped “I’m so annoying?” He hissed dangerously.

Atsumu’s smirk gleamed in the light of the TV “Yup” He said, popping the p.

“Me?”

Atsumu listed his head to the side, looking all too pleased with himself, giving Hinata’s feet a squeeze “Mhmm”. Fine, if Atsumu wanted him riled up, he could deal with the consequences.

Hinata slapped a hand forward to grab the remote and pause the movie, waiting for Atsumu’s eye roll before he launched into his rant “I’m annoying, huh? Me? With the crap you’ve been pulling?” Hinata pulled his feet back but only because he’d feel bad if he kicked Atsumu in the face, and he was riding high on righteous anger. That dumb smirk didn’t even waver off Atsumu’s face as he looked at Hinata expectantly.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I don’t know what’s gotten into you but you're really starting to get on my last nerve. You strut around like some sort of uninhibited peacock” Atsumu’s smirk slipped just a bit in offense “And you poke and prod for my attention continuously, like you’re some sort of toddler who lost their soother or something” He sliced his hands through the air, gesticulating a bit wildly in his fury. This only seemed to delight Atsumu more, pissing Hinata off further. “Since when are you so touchy feely? Huh? I’ve lived here a month, and then I swear in the last five days you have purposefully bumped, poked, rubbed, and all other manner of, of-” He clenched his hands annoyed that he couldn’t think of the word “Inappropriate touching!” He burst out.

Atsumu was grinning at him, finding this whole exchange hilarious apparently “Inappropriate touching?”

“Yes!” Hinata hissed at him “It feels very purposeful”

“Mhmm” Atsumu agreed cheerfully.

“It’s like you’re flirting with me” Hinata continued, not paying attention.

“Yup” Again with the popping p.

“It’s like you’re just begging me to kiss you or something, which-”

“I wouldn’t say begging,” Atsumu said, looking at Hinata intently, grin going sly at the edges as he tapped his chin with a finger.

Hinata paused, taking a breath to start phase two of his rant, before he paused again, processing what he’d just said and stared at Atsumu “Huh?”

“I wouldn’t say begging, more like, informing ya I’d be down for it” He said with a shrug, giving Hinata that lazy grin.

“Huh?”

“I mean, yer absolutely right. Been flirting with ya this whole time, and it only seems like you just finally started noticing” Atsumu propped his head in his hand “For someone so observant you’re pretty dense sometimes”

Hinata continues to stare at him for a moment as his brain reoriented facts and information into something resembling cohesion. Once recalibrated he blinks, feels his cheeks flush, because of course they did, and then Hinata gives an agonized groan wiping his hands down his face “Goddammit Atsumu”

This finally wiped the smirk off Atsumu’s face at least. He looked a bit alarmed as he squawked “What?”

Hinata just smeared his face with his hands, still trying to catch up to the thread of the conversation. Atsumu was now watching him anxiously, eyebrows pinched. Finally Hinata heaves a sigh and says “That’s a really bad idea”

“What is?” Atsumu asks defensively.

“Hooking up, making out, other things” Hinata says, gesturing between them.

This seemed to perk Atsumu up “Other things?” before he schooled his expression “Why?”

Hinata heaved a sigh “Because! We’re teammates. We’re living together. If things go badly then that’s absolutely awful. I’m out a setter, and a friend, and a place to stay for a quarantine”

Atsumu is staring at him confused “Whoah, whoah, whoah. Slow down. How do we jump from I want ya to kiss me to yer on the street?”

“I’ve told you about what happened to all those beach partnerships while I was in Rio” Hinata says with a huff. Like it’s obvious, because it was. Romance and sex and teammates were a really volatile combination, that in his opinion had never been worth the risks.

“Yeah, sure. But it seems to me like maybe those partnerships were built on playing volleyball, winning and losing and hookin’ up?”

“And?” Hinata asks, annoyed.

“‘M pretty sure we got more things going on than just playing volleyball. Y’know like years of friendship, and mutual respect and all that other shit” Atsumu says listing items off on his fingers.

Hinata knits his brows together. Why doesn’t he understand? “Atsumu-san, I’m not going to lose you just because you’re feeling bored being in quarantine”

It is Atsumu’s turn to wipe a hand down his face, as he rolls his eyes to the ceiling “What the shit is all this talk about losin’ me? Where the fuck do ya think I’m going?” He briefly averts his gaze, cheeks going warm, before he glares back at Hinata “And who the heck says I’m bored?”

“Because it probably won’t work, and I don’t want you to hate me. And I say you’re bored. Why else would you bring this up now? I know it’s been a month, but c’mon Atsumu-san, it’s not like-”

Atsumu had slapped a hand to his forehead, sliding it back into his hair, disheveling it, which is usually a sign he’s very frustrated. Atsumu does not purposely mess up his own hair ever. “Goddamn, yer real fuckin’ dumb sometimes” Hinata makes an offended sound, ready to refute him but he charges on “First, we both know you are still friends with every single person you have ever slept with. Y’know how I know? Because I was at yer awkward as shit birthday last year where there was like 10 dudes lookin’ at ya with those sad puppy dog expressions” Hinata feels his cheeks warm further, remembering how he’d chosen to get drunk instead of dealing with the weird competitive atmosphere that had sprouted up around him everytime he walked into a room. If he recalled Atsumu had piggybacked his drunk ass back to the shoebox afterwards...

Atsumu takes in a breath, his cheeks flushed to the tips of his ears “And second, this ain’t boredom Shouyou-kun. I like you” At Hinata’s expression he scowls “Not just like a friend you scrub”

Hinata presses his lips together before he leans back against the arm rest with a sigh “I thought you liked women. You dated whats-her-face just after I joined the team”

Atsumu matches his pose, his face still warm “Haru-chan. And I like people, not what they got going on in their pants” He says with a dismissive shrug.

“Oh”

“Mhmm”

“I didn’t know that”

“Didja ask?” And Hinata winces, because no he had not.

And then they stare at each other in silence for a few moments, both their cheeks red, neither of them blinking. This is the weirdest staring contest Hinata has ever been in. He breaks the silence “Did you invite me here, with, uh, this intention...?” He cringes as the words stumble awkwardly out of his mouth.

Atsumu gives him a sarcastic smile “Did I invite you to live in my house intending to make you my sex slave? No Shouyou-kun, you weird fuckin’ perv. You’re my friend, I was worried about you.”

“Astumu-san!” Hinata scolds, feeling his face turn beet red again, his heartbeat doing an excited pitter patter in his chest. But Atsumu is grinning at him now at least, some of the tension dissipating in the room “Ugh. You know if you had said something in that first week I’d have run for the hills”

“Mhmm, I ain’t stupid”

Hinata narrows his eyes suspiciously “You’re making me think that drip dry incident was a bit more intentional than you had let on”

Atsumu’s grin turns smug once more “It was an accident. But if it gets the ball rolling, who am I to complain?” He waggles his eyebrows, leaning forward, tilting his head just so “Y’never answered my question, did ya like what you saw Shouyou-kun?”

He’s getting a little too smug. But if he wants to fish for compliments, well, Hinata is very very good at giving them “Been waiting to ask that for five days have you?” Atsumu’s grin widens and he dips his head in a nod.

Hinata shifts so he’s kneeling, feet tucked under him “You know, when I gave you that massage the other day I kept thinking ‘oh wow, what a nice broad back’” He flicks a glance at Atsumu through his eyelashes and watches his cheeks turn a pleased shade of pink “But I kept on getting distracted you know, because what was really grabbing my attention were these cute moles you had” Hinata shuffles a bit closer.

Atsumu stares at him expectantly, his ears turning a bit red. Still wearing his pleased little smirk. “And then I thought about the arch of your back, and how it dipped low, and the little dimples at the base were just so cute Atsumu-san” he says with a sigh, gradually shuffling closer as he speaks “I also really like the way your dark hair hits your neck and how it contrasts with the blond, it made me really want to run my fingers through it” Atsumu takes in a shaky breath, but maintains eye contact. Hinata grins “And I’ve been thinking about those noises you made, every day” Atsumu’s smirk finally melts off his face, his lips parted as he watches Hinata come closer, an impatient light to his eyes.

“But none of that compared to getting to see all of you the other day” He nudges forward, pressing Atsumu’s leg aside so he can kneel in between his legs. Atsumu is looking up at him now, watching Hinata’s hand come up to stroke along his jaw. He really does like how Atsumu’s blush moves from his hairline all the way down to the collar of his shirt “You’re so beautiful Atsumu, it made me just want to keep looking at you, until you couldn’t bear it anymore” Atsumu’s eyelashes flutter, and he swallows hard.

Hinata leans in, going in for the kill, smiling slow and whispering lowly “But what I wanted most was to measure just how big you were are my mouth” He grins as he watches a myriad of expressions convulse across Atsumu’s face, his mouth going slack and a high needy sound escaping through his parted lips. So easy and cute. “I’m going to kiss you now”

Atsumu just eagerly nods his head “Mhmm, yeah good” leaning up to meet Hinata half way.

They both sigh into each other’s mouths when their lips meet, Hinata slipping the hand that had been cupping Atsumu’s jaw into his hair. He delights in the little groan that produces from Atsumu, and gives his hair a gentle tug as a reward. Atsumu has wrapped his arms around Hinata’s back, trying to guide Hinata into settling on his lap, but Hinata will not allow himself to be led. Instead he takes his time, slanting his mouth against Atsumu’s, using his free hand to slide up and over Atsumu’s shoulder, kneading the muscle and earning himself another groan.

Atsumu tugs at his hips again, so Hinata pulls back, sitting back on his heels, smiling at Atsumu’s pout “Slow down, I wanna make out for a bit” Atsumu’s grin is instantly back and he nods eagerly.

“Can ya sit in my lap while ya kiss me?” He slurs, hands stroking up Hinata’s sides, and then back down again. He licks his lips before adding “Please?”

Hinata purses his lips, and watches Atsumu, waiting for him to squirm a bit under the heat of Hinata’s gaze, before he finally leans close, bumping their noses together, giving the tip of it a quick kiss, making Atsumu go cross eyed “Fine, but only because you’ve been so good” and then he straddles Atsumu’s thighs and leans forward to press his mouth to Atsumu’s again.

He revels in the contented sigh Atsumu gives him, rewarding him with a gentle scrape of his teeth against Atsumu’s lower lip, and then his mouth is open and Hinata can enjoy the hot slick press of Atsumu’s tongue against his own. They sit like that for a while, exploring each other’s mouths, the only sound their breath and groans and the rustle of their clothes against each other. Atsumu has splayed one large hand across his lower back, the other threaded into Hinata’s hair, tugging on it gently when he especially likes the swirl of Hinata’s tongue in his mouth. Hinata has his arms looped over Atsumu’s shoulders, fingers tracing the muscles on his back that aren’t pressed into the couch, the other cupping Atsumu’s jaw.

Atsumu drags his hands down, earning a shiver from Hinata, pressing his pleased smile into Hinata’s kiss, before he grips Hinata’s hips and grinds up, a half bitten groan tripping out of Atsumu’s lips and into Hinata’s mouth. And oh fuck, they’re both hard. Hinata breaks the kiss with a gasp, tipping his forehead to press into Atsumu’s as he tries and fails to calm his breathing. Atsumu is gnawing on his kiss bitten lips as he looks up at Hinata with eyes hazy with pleasure. He rolls hips forward and again, and both their breaths rasp at the sensation.

Hinata leans back a bit, getting some space, trying to ignore the cute plaintiff sounds Atsumu is making, as his eyebrows bunch up on his forehead in confusion. Hinata indulges himself and allows his fingers to come up and smooth Atsumu’s brow, who tips his head up to press a hot wet kiss to Hinata’s wrist.

“Atsumu” he calls softly. Atsumu stubbornly closes his eyes and keeps pressing open mouthed kisses to Hinata’s wrist, ignoring him. Hinata curls his fingers into the hair behind Atsumu’s ear and gives it a tug. Atsumu’s lip drags along Hinata’s wrist as he gives a gasping groan, eyes opening and looking at Hinata hotly.

Hinata gives him a grin, sliding both his hands to the back of Atsumu’s neck and scritches behind his ears. Atsumu looks to be having an internal battle with himself, both enjoying the sensation, but probably definitely feeling like he’s being treated like an over eager puppy. He glares at Hinata through droopy eyes “Why’d you stop?”

“Just checking in, making sure this is what we both want” Hinata says with a smile, stroking his right hand further up into Atsumu’s hair, dragging his nails over his scalp. His grin broadens when Atsumu gives an involuntary shiver.

Atsumu looks desperately close to unravelling, so it’s not with a lot of heat when he glowers at Hinata, glancing down at the matching tents in both their sweatpants before looking pointedly back up “Yeah, ‘M pretty sure I want ya” He says thickly.

Hinata’s smile goes cheeky “And what do you want Atsumu?” He bends forward to place gentle and soft kisses along his jawline. Atsumu hums in pleasure, his hands spasming on Hinata’s hips. Hinata drags his nose along his jaw up to his ear puffing hot air there, watching goosebumps spread across Atsumu’s neck “How would you like to fuck?”

Atsumu shivers at the same time he makes a high reedy sound in the back of his throat. He swallows thickly and Hinata can feel his throat bobbing as he swallows. His face is undoubtedly a bright red. He opens his mouth to answer so Hinata takes the opportunity to bite at his ear lobe and then give it a little suck. The nasal keening sound out of Atsumu’s mouth is music to his ears. When he recovers, he shoves at Hinata’s hips to push back so he can give Hinata a peevish look to his face “No fair” He complains.

Hinata just smiles, placing his hands on Atsumu’s chest, bunching up the fabric of his t-shirt “Do you have ideas about what you want Atsumu?” Hinata asks, biting at his own lip as he thumbs over the fabric where Atsumu’s nipple is. Atsumu bucks under him, and Hinata’s grin turns pleased. He’ll remember that for later. He flicks a glance down at Atsumu before he leans in close, their breath intermingling “I want you to feel good” He whispers softly, leaning forward to give Atsumu a soft peck on the lips.

Atsumu is panting underneath him, his face red, and his gaze averted as his blush deepens. So cute. Hinata watches the way his throat bobs as he swallows, and then his brows pinch together in determination and he looks up at Hinata defiantly “Earlier. Y’said something about yer mouth and, uh, measurin’-” He breaks off, losing his nerve and looking away once more. Very cute and so easy to embarass.

Hinata leans forward and gives the tip of his nose a kiss, tipping his head up to press a kiss to his furrowed brows “Mmm, that’s a good idea Atsumu. I bet you’re going to look really cute when I make you come” Atsumu’s hands spasm on his hips again and he involuntarily rocks forward to grind up against Hinata.

Atsumu is staring at him intently and with feeling says “Fuck”

Hinata smiles leaning forward to press open mouthed kisses against Atsumu’s throat, equal parts scraping his teeth and then laving with his tongue. His fingers brush under the hem of his t-shirt to slowly start pulling it up, fingers ghosting over abs and ribs that has Atsumu squirming under him, grinding upwards feverently. Hinata leans back to help him take off his shirt and then drinks in the sight of the flush on Atsumu’s chest, and the very nice little mole located just right over his sternum “You’re so beautiful Atsumu” And then he leans forward to press a kiss to the mole, earning himself a a quick little gasp, and then Hinata is kissing his way over to Atsumu’s nipple, his left hand ghosting up to rub and pinch the other.

For as long as Hinata lives he’s going to remember the sound Atsumu makes when Hinata sucks that nipple into his mouth. Somewhere between a groan and a gasp and a bitten off swear and then a wheeze and a shudder. It was without a doubt the most erotic thing he’s ever heard. So he does it again and revels in the groaning cry from Atsumu’s mouth.

Too pleased by half, Hinata drags his head up to give Atsumu a dirty open mouthed kiss “You’re so good” He says, giving Atsumu a peck and then he dives right back in. Hinata trails kisses down his chest, making sure to tongue at the neglected other nipple on his way down. He crawls off of Atsumu’s lap to kneel between his knees, pressing his chest into Atsumu’s erection as he licks kisses along his abs. Hinata discovers that Atsumu’s beautifully cut hips are indeed infinitely lickable, and is sure to lavish extra attention there, especially because Atsumu’s hips jerk and judder underneath him as he does so.

“Shouyou, please, can-” Atsumu sounds practically delirious, grasping Hinata’s hand that has been splayed against Atsumu’s belly, and pressing Hinata’s palm into his hardness.

“So impatient” Hinata tutts through a smile, but grasps Atsumu through his sweatpants, earning himself another delicious cry. Pleased, he hooks his fingers into Atsumu’s waistband and then gives a few short tugs, urging Atsumu to lift his hips so Hinata can help him take his sweatpants off. “I always knew you were going to be so noisy during sex, you’re so expressive Atsumu” And then with another tug Atsumu’s sweatpants and underwear are pulled down his ankles, Atsumu depserately kicking them off to untangle his feet.

Hinata drinks in the sight of him, his head lolling back against the couch, looking at Hinata through half lidded eyes, mouth open and panting, the blush on his cheeks and ears reaching his chest. The length of him, bobbing up, curving upwards just asking for a kiss “So beautiful” Hinata hums, leaning forward to do just that, circling his fingers around the base of him, pressing dry, closed lip kisses up his shaft.

Atsumu’s hands flex beside him on the couch, fingers digging into the leather trying to find purchase. He’s making that sexy keening sound in his throat again. “Look at me” Hinata demands, making sure Atsumu’s eyes watch him as he dips his tongue down to lick at the pre-cum gathered at the tip. Atsumu’s jaw slackens, his eyes wide and dilated as he watches. Hinata makes a pleased sound, before dipping his head down and taking as much of Atsumu as he can comfortably fit in his mouth, his hands making up the difference at the base of him.

Atsumu spasms, trying to stop his hips from jerking forward as he curls forward with a broken groan. Once he’s settled again Hinata starts his work bobbing up and down slowly at first, working his tongue up along the underside of Atsumu, to his shaking and rattling gasps. Hinata eventually grabs Atsumu’s hands, placing them in Hinata’s hair, and is delighted at the pets and the occasional hair tugs he receives, taking them as encouragement.

Atsumu, getting a little too lost in his own pleasure, forgets to control his hips from jerking upwards, so Hinata braces his hands on Atsumu’s hips, locking his forearms to Atsumu’s beautiful thighs and holds him in place as he picks up speed. He suspects Atsumu might like being held down because it is only a few moments later when he’s gasping desperately, fingers spasming in his hair and-

“Shhouy- Ah, I’m gunna, I need ta co-” And Atsumu tries tugging his head away but Hinata is ignoring him picking up speed, scraping his nails into Atsumu’s hip bones, and then Atsumu makes a desperate groaning sound, his back arching off the couch as Hinata swallows him down, his cum pumping down his throat, Hinata licking up every last drop. He continues working Atsumu until he finally stops shivering and spasming in the aftershocks of his orgasm.

Hinata releases Atsumu with a wet pop tilting his head up to grin at Atsumu, licking at the last bit of cum from the corner of his mouth. Atsumu is a perfect vision before him, all limp and boneless, his eyes glazed over in pleasure and his mouth open as he continues to pant, sweat beading at his brow and on his chest. Hinata desperately wants to lick it off. “Feel good?” He asks, already knowing the answer, bending to give Atsumu’s cock one last kiss, making Atsumu twitch, before he pulls himself up on the couch beside him.

Atsumu drops his head onto Hinata’s shoulder, pressing his face into his neck “Fuuuuck” he groans.

Hinata loops their fingers together and presses kisses to Atsumu’s knuckles. Atsumu watches him do this, his expression still glazed. This is always Hinata’s favorite part of sex, just after making someone come, the moment where they’re useless appreciative pudding as they try and get their brain function back. He loves bringing this out in people. He loves bringing it out in Atsumu.

“How th’fuck are ya so good at that?” He murmurs into Hinata’s neck.

“So you liked it?” Hinata hums, fishing for compliments.

Atsumu reaches over with his free hand and pinches Hinata’s hip, pressing a kiss into Hinata’s jaw “Don’t be so greedy” He rumbles, turning them around so Hinata’s back is pressed into Atsumu’s front, their legs sprawled across the rest of the couch “‘Course I fuckin’ liked it” He says before nipping at the point where Hinata’s neck meets his shoulder, tongueing the spot to soothe it. Hinata gives an excited gasp.

“No hickeys” Hinata instructs, tilting his head to give Atsumu better access to his neck. Hinata hums in pleasure as Atsumu places kisses along his neck and spine to his shoulder “Hmm, you’re one to talk about being greedy” Before his tease turns into a sigh as Atsumu uses his free hand to travel up Hinata’s shirt, pressing him more firmly against Atsumu’s chest.

“Bossy, bossy” Atsumu says, but Hinata can hear the smile in his voice. Atsumu bites at his ear and then sends shivers down Hinata’s spine by rasping “I wanna jerk you off”

Hinata tilts his head to press a kiss to the corner of Atsumu’s chin “I’d like that”

And then Atsumu is using one hand to tugs Hinata’s sweatpants and underwear down, Hinata helping by kicking them off with his feet, the other hand holding him firm against Atsumu’s chest, fingers brushing against tight nipples making Hinata squirm just a bit. Atsumu hums pleased as he strokes his fingers up the length of him, palming him with that big sexy hand of his.

Hinata is about to suggest he can go grab some lube from upstairs, when Atsumu places his palm in front of Hinata’s face “Lick” He instructs.

Hinata turns to look over his shoulder with a smile “You’re so dirty Atsumu” But does as he’s told before Atsumu can scold him, running his tongue along the meat of Atsumu’s palms, swirling it up his fingers, fully prepared to start sucking on Atsumu’s fingers when his breath hitches at Hinata’s ministrations, but Atsumu pulls his hand away, encircling Hinata in a fist.

Hinata arches against Atsumu at the sensation, tipping his head back on Atsumu’s shoulder as he begins stroking slow and gentle at first. His neck exposed now, Atsumu is more than happy to place wet kisses along his throat and jaw, shifting his grip and picking up speed. He almost feels like some sort of musical instrument as Atsumu licks at his throat, pinches at his nipples and strokes him, and Atsumu is playing him beautifully. Hinata can’t help the desperate pants and moans from tripping from his lips, but they just spur Atsumu on faster.

“Yeah, yeah, just like that” Atsumu hisses in his ear, before giving it a bite and then Hinata’s body is pulled taut as his orgasm wracks through him lightning hot. When his shivering has subsided it’s Hinata’s turn to be boneless goo, leaning his weight fully back into Atsumu, head lolling on his shoulder.

He gracelessly pulls a hand up to grab at Atsumu’s neck and pull him down for a kiss that is more a lazy brushing of tongues at an awkward angle than a kiss, but it feels good all the same. Hinata pats his cheek “Very good” and then Atsumu pulls up the hand he’d just used to jerk Hinata off, half covered in Hinata’s cum, makes sure Hinata is watching him and licks up every last drop, smug smile sliding across his face again “Oooooh, very dirty Atsumu” he coos pleased, pulling Atsumu in for another kiss, delighting in the act of tasting himself on Atsumu’s tongue.

They lay sparwled on the couch like that for a few more minutes, basking in the afterglow of good sex, when Atsumu prods at his hip “C’mon let’s go to bed”

Hinata blinks owlishly at him “My bed or your bed or separately?”

Atsumu looks at him like he’s stupid “My bed, obviously” and they stumble and wobble and giggle just a little bit up the stairs, discarded clothes tucked under their arms, and then Atsumu is shoving Hinata down onto his mattress before flopping on top of him, pinning him in place. Hinata spitefully, but full of affection, ruffles Atsumu’s hair making him squawk and roll off him.

They lay on their sides facing one another, both of them seemingly trying to determine if the silence is awkward or charged. To Hinata it feels almost calm and comfortable, like normal, just that Atsumu is naked across from him. Atsumu’s brows are pinching like maybe he’s worried about the opposite so Hinata pets a hand across his forehead “That was very good”

And he’s rewarded with one of Atsumu’s preening smiles “Yeah, it was”

“It was better than I could have imagined” Hinata hums, delighting in the pleased pink flush spreading over Atsumu’s cheeks, his smile widening. “Do you want to do that again?”

“Now? I mean, you’ll need to give me a bit of time, like half an hour, and maybe a snack but yeah I’d be up for-”

“No I mean, do you want to keep having sex together?” Hinata says patiently, watching his expression.

Atsumu frowns, confused “Yes? Obviously?” and then he looks at Hinata assessing “Yer still worried about what this is going to do to our relationship?”

“A little bit” Hinata licks his lips, Atsumu tracking the motion “But I also want to do that again. A lot” He ignores the smug tilt of Atsumu’s lips “And I just want to make sure we’re on the same page”

“What kinda page, you mean like fuck buddies?” Atsumu asks, brows bunching together again. He looks frustrated.

Hinata presses his face into the mattress and sighs, before turning back “No, yes. No. If you want that then yes”

His brow now smooth once more, Atsumu is looking at him intently “And if that’s not what I want?”

Hinata’s cheeks flush red and he wants to avert his gaze but needs to see Atsumu’s expression “Then tell me what you do want”

Atsumu looks like he desperately wants to say ‘you first’ petulantly, but instead he rolls so he’s hovering over Hinata looking down at him. His hand comes up and more gently that Hinata would have thought him capable, threads his fingers into Hinata hair “I wanna keep doin’ you” grinning when Hinata snorts a laugh “but I also want to kiss and cuddle and all the other cutesy shit like holding your hand” He removes his hand from Hinata’s hair, instead interlacing their fingers “I wasn’t lying when I said I liked you. Been crushin’ on you for a long time”

Hinata’s breath catches in his throat, but he squeezes Atsumu’s hand reassuringly “I have too. I’ve wanted you for so long but I didn’t say anything because I was worried we couldn’t be friends anymore if I did” He presses upwards to place a soft kiss on Atsumu’s nose “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about just leaning up and kissing you over the years”

* * *

  
_The first time they nail the quick in practice, Hinata and Atsumu whirl around to face each other, shout their excitement into each other’s faces, Atsumu pulling Hinata into a spinning hug. He briefly considers pressing his face to Atsumu’s and kissing him until they’re both senseless. But the moment passes and he lets it go_

* * *

  
_Atsumu has Hinata draped over his back as he trudges from the train station to Hinata’s shoebox. He’s been complaining the whole time about how fuckin’ heavy ya are Shouyou-kun. To thank him Hinata presses a kiss to Atsumu’s pulse point behind his jaw, and Atsumu’s breath hitches and Hinata realizes that probably wasn’t right, and pretends to have missed giving Atsumu a wet willy instead. Oops._

* * *

  
_It is a month before Atsumu is set to move into the house he inherited from his great uncle and he’s come down with the flu. Hinata volunteers to go to Atsumu’s apartment to bring him food and medicine. He tidies when he’s there, and as Atsumu lays in bed, a bit delirious with fever, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, Hinata sits next to him smoothing his hair, thinks about pressing kisses to his forehead but chooses to curb that impulse, instead telling Atsumu it will all be alright._

* * *

  
_The Black Jackals have won the vleague in Hinata’s rookie year. After they’ve been given their trophy and medals Atsumu pulls him in for a tight hug and there is a moment when they pull apart where Hinata swears they’re both staring at each other’s mouths, and then Bokuto is on them, shrieking his elation in their ears, the moment passes._

* * *

There had been so many moments of quiet intimacy between them over the years, that Hinata had forcibly shoved away and ignored in favour of pretending he wasn’t a little bit in love with his friend.

Atsumu’s smile has turned a bit goofy as he presses down, hand holding Hinata’s tight, and places a sweet kiss on Hinata’s mouth. They don’t bother with tongues this time, though Hinata cups Atsumu’s jaw and gives a happy sigh. When Atsumu finally pulls back, he flops down onto his side again, his smile a bit giddy “We’ve wasted a fuckin’ awful lotta time, huh?”

Hinata rolls onto his stomach, stretching forward to press a kiss to Atsumu’s mouth again “Luckily we’re in a quarantine and have nothing but time for who knows how long”

Atsumu snorts but his smile is amused “Ever the optimist, hmm Shouyou?”

Hinata gives him a little peck “For you, always” before rolling again, pressing his back into Atsumu’s front, allowing himself to be spooned. Atsumu gives another happy sigh, burying his face into Hinata’s hair, arms wrapped around Hinata’s middle.

A laugh bubbles up Hinata’s throat, unexpected “Hmm?” Atsumu grunts into his ear.

“We definitely banged before we confessed to each other” Hinata says, amused.

Atsumu pinches at his hip “Don’t say banged. Yer so crass” Which just makes Hinata laugh more, because who is Atsumu to say that to him.

Hinata spins in his arms, pressing a kiss to Atsumu’s chin and grinning up into his sleepy eyes “So tomorrow morning” he starts innocently, immediately putting Atsumu into suspicious alert “It’s just I’m usually awfully horny in the mornings” He flicks a glance up through his lashes and finds Atsumu now watching him with interest “I’m just wondering if you’d like me to wake you before I start jerking off. I bet you’d be really good at helping me take care of it”

Atsumu’s eyes are getting that sexy glazed look in them and he almost bends to give Hinata a kiss, before he pauses, eyebrows pinched together in suspicion “Wait, at what time?”

“Like 5:30, or 6?”

Atsumu groans, pressing his face into his pillow “Yer killin’ me”

Hinata’s fingers flutter up Atsumu’s side “So I’m taking that as a yes?” and then laughs when Atsumu rolls them over on the bed, pressing kisses down Hinata’s chest.

“Can’t get up early fer sex if yer too tired for more” He says determinedly, kicking the blanket to the foot of the bed.

Hinata just laughs and gasps delighted, petting at Atsumu’s head “Poor Tsumu-Tsumu, we both know I have way more stamina than you” and is delighted at the competitive glare Atsumu gives him, before pushing lower, making Hinata’s laughs turn into soft gasps and moans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And one more to go! Thanks for reading!


	6. Love in the time of Quarantine

They finish the second bathroom.

As a reward for their hard work and for achieving Atsumu’s goal of having sex on every flat surface in the house in less than a week, they decide to while away hours taking a bath together, going pruney as they laze in the water kissing and cuddling and at one point jerking each other off until they realize that water isn’t a super great lubricant, and go back to lazing and cuddling instead.

Hinata is draped behind Atsumu, Atsumu’s head cradled on his shoulder as they sit in the warm bath, relaxing in the tub that Hinata had just known was going to be big enough for the two of them. Atsumu’s knees are bent but only slightly and Hinata starts to wonder if he’s sleeping. He’s being awfully quiet for Atsumu.

Hinata pets a hand through Atsumu’s hair and kisses at his ear earning himself a pleased hum “You shouldn’t fall asleep in the bath ‘Tsumu” he mumbles into Atsumu’s neck. “What if you drowned?”

“You won’t let me,” Atsumu hums dreamily, pushing his forehead into Hinata’s jaw and brushing a kiss to his adam’s apple “‘sides, if I did you might give me mouth to mouth” And he wiggles a bit in place, one of his hands sliding up Hinata’s legs in the water.

Hinata laughs pressing a kiss to the back of Atsumu’s neck “You make the weirdest things sound sexy”

And it was true. In the week since they’d admitted their feelings to one another, and started sharing kisses and Atsumu’s bed, Atsumu had removed a filter Hinata didn’t know he had and started saying every Hinata related thought that seemed to cross his mind. Hinata would be laying on the ground with his feet propped up and Atsumu would cheerfully walk by and declare “I want to press a kiss to the sole of your foot” And then do just that, eventually bending Hinata’s legs back marvelling at Hinata’s flexibility as he pressed kisses everywhere he could reach.

Or when Atsumu had been laying in bed one morning, Hinata allowing him to sleep in as he started his own day, only for a few hours later to hear a plaintiff Atsumu calling his name. Hinata had returned upstairs to find Atsumu patting his stomach demanding “I want ya to lay on top of me” and they’d just cuddled like that, Hinata draped over top of Atsumu as they both messed around on their phones.

Or when Hinata had returned from a run, sweaty and wiping at his sweat with the bottom of his shirt and Atsumu had pressed a kiss to his sweaty face and asked if he could give Hinata a sponge bath. That exercise had lasted all of five minutes before Atsumu had him pinned to a wall sucking him off, Hinata too far gone to worry about how smelly and sweaty he must have been.

Or when Hinata had managed to tuck his legs under him on one of the barstools and Atsumu had walked around him, chewing on his lip and he’d asked “Do you think I could fuck you on one of those?” Hinata who had been mid sip of his tea had choked before nodding his head vigorously. Thus starting Atsumu’s gradn dream of having sex on ever surface of the apartment. They’d done it on Hinata’s futon, the weight bench outside, the low table in the living room, the counter, Atsumu’s dresser, and on and on. That morning Atsumu had followed him out of bed for his meditation, jerked each other off on the veranda, desperately trying to be quiet as they made out. It had luckily been very early so Hinata was pretty sure they probably hadn’t bothered Atsumu’s neighbours. Probably.

So now they lay cuddling in the bathtub, Atsumu’s sexy-Hinata filter now gone as he delightfully starts recounting all his favorite Hinata sounds and outfits “Didja know you have real sexy calves Shouyou?” To prove his point Atsumu looped his elbow under Hinata’s submerged knee and pulled Hinata’s leg out of the water “Every time you roll your sweat pants up I’d imagine you steppin’ on me and I’d nearly come in my shorts” Hinata feels a curl of heat thrum low in his stomach.

“My calves have nothing on your hands” Hinata murmurs into Atsumu’s ear low, not willing to be outdone. “I want you to know that every time I watch your fingers wrap around a ball, I’d imagine them threading into my hair and giving it a tug or wrapping around my cock” Atsumu wiggles in front of him, the hand that had looped around his ankle tightening, Hinata grins “Everytime you served me the ball I could picture myself threading our fingers together and-” It’s the romantic stuff that really gets Atsumu going, which is cutest of all.

Atsumu twists around to give him an open mouthed, dirty kiss, sucking Hinata’s lower lip into his mouth. Hinata just snorts a laugh, because really it’s just cute how talking about holding hands or cuddling, or mentioning finding it nice to wake up next to him in the morning, is the sure fire way to light a fire in Atsumu. He never would have guessed it before now, but something as simple as saying “I want to go for a walk, holding your hand” Was the fastest way for Hinata to find himself pressed up against the nearest surface, Atsumu kissing him and grinding up against him.

Atsumu lifts his head to squint at Hinata, a pout forming on his lips “What?”

Hinata just shakes his head, big smile still on his face and he pets Atsumu’s cheek “Nothing, nothing, you’re just cute” Atsumu huffs, but turns back around and presses his head into Hinata’s shoulder once more. Hinata drapes his arms loosely around Atsumu’s neck and places a kiss at the crown of his head, feeling happy.

“Hey, Shouyou?”

“Mmm?”

“When was the first time you jerked off to thoughts about me?” Atsumu asks and he’s feigning innocence, but Hinata knows from experience that he’s going to be smug no matter his answer, and then hotly ask Hinata to describe it to him in vivid detail for the next week if not longer. The least embarrassing answer would be saying after he’d given Atsumu the massage. Or after seeing him naked. Or even maybe sometime after he’d joined the team, because Hinata had definitely accidentally jerked off to Atsumu in that yogurt ad with his shirt off in his first year on the team. But Hinata is a fundamentally honest person, so he opts for the truth. He reaches up a hand and begins stroking at Atsumu’s wet hair.

“After you beat us in my second year at spring nationals. There was a spread in volleyball monthly about you joining the Black Jackals, and you were wearing this smug grin that I was mad about and I wanted to wipe off your face” He smiles a bit chagrined. Hinata did not add that he’d kept that page until he’d left for Rio, feeling weird about bringing a picture of a rival he hadn’t seen in two years across the ocean with him. It wasn’t the only thing he jerked off to back then but when he was feeling particularly frustrated about something, Atsumu’s smug smile was the only thing that would satisfy. However Hinata knew that if he told Atsumu that he’d be insufferable about it until the quarantine finally ended.

Atsumu jerks his head up and is watching Hinata, a huge grin splitting across his face. Oh god, he should have lied, now Atsumu was going to be obnoxious. Yes, teenage Hinata had a weird fixation on Atsumu’s teeth, who cares, it’s not like they knew each other. They were rivals of a fashion after all.

“You can admit it, you liked me because I was really that good, right?” Atsumu preens, absolutely enamored with this new information.

Hinata heaves a sigh “No you were kind of smug and annoying” He pokes Atsumu in the stomach with his toes, earning him a glare which makes Hinata smile “Buuuut, I kind of liked your smile when you were excited” Atsumu flushes and his smug grin goes a bit soft at the edges. “Yeah like that” And Atsumu flushes more, tugging at Hinata’s legs to pull him into Atsumu’s lap. He presses sweet kisses to Hinata’s mouth.

Atsumu eventually leans away, pressing his back into the wall of the tub “But ya also liked me because I was good at volleyball, right? It’s one of the reasons I like you so much” Ah, he's just fishing for compliments.

Hinata purses his lips and recalls the time Yachi had scolded him and Kageyama in their third year, having not realized for the fifth time that girls had been confessing to them and she’d referred to them as “volleyball-sexuals” and they’d thought it was funny. But maybe Atsumu was too. “Maybe we’re both volleyball-sexuals” Hinata muses out loud, Atsumu giving him a funny look.

Hinata shrugs his shoulders and extricates himself from Atsumu’s lap, and stands intending to towel off and get dressed. “Just, I wonder if we’d like each other as much as we do if we didn’t have volleyball” Hinata doesn’t often like to think about what his life would be like without this sport he loved so much, but it makes him wonder, if he’d know Atsumu if this isn’t what they did. If they’d recognize the same drive and passion in each other even if it wasn’t focused on the same thing. What would he be passionate about if it wasn’t volleyball?

Atsumu snorts, following suit and moving to grab them towels “Does it matter, we found each other, we like one another,” He tosses the towel at Hinata’s head, laughing when he squawks “And we’re having a good time. Isn’t that your whole approach to volleyball now?”

Hinata vigorously wipes himself down before moving to poke Atsumu in the back “I know that, I’m not saying it’s fate or anything, just” He moves his towel to roughly dry his hair, draping it over his head as he thinks of how to put it “There were so many ways our paths could have diverged, like I ended up on another team, or went to college and stopped playing, or I stayed in South America.” He shrugs, pulling on his pants.

Atsumu releases a breath “We still would have found each other, I’m positive”

“Why?” It didn’t sound like Atsumu was being pig headed about it, just preternaturally confident about this fact. Like he was saying they were always meant to play together.

Atsumu tugs the towel off Hinata’s head, a warm soft smile on his face, making Hinata flush a bit “I told you when we were kids, I was gonna toss to you one day. I don’t break promises” That was an extraordinary lie, but Hinata wasn’t going to point out that Atsumu frequently broke promises (especially food related ones) just to diminish the moment or that cool guy line. Instead he presses a hand to Atsumu’s chest and leans up to peck him on the lips.

Atsumu makes a pleased hum sound, opening the door now that he's dressed, letting the cooler dry air of the main room hit their skin and they walk out into the living room. Hinata follows after him, Atsumu tossing over his shoulder “Besides, I’ve had an ongoing big messy crush on you since I was a teenager. I guarantee you even if you were some sort of office worker or teacher I would have sought you out at some point”

Hinata stops, his breath stilling in his chest. What? He stares at Atsumu’s back which has also gone rigid, staring at the far wall, desperately not looking at Hinata. Hinata can feel his lips open and shut a few times before he manages to produce sound “Uh, what? Sorry, ongoing...?” He licks his lips. Atsumu still isn’t turning around. They’d never actually talked about how long they’d like one another, outside of vague gestures at the topic. But just because Hinata had thought Atsumu was hot when he was 16, didn’t mean he’d say he had a big messy ongoing crush from then until now.

Hinata steps forward, circling around Atsumu to face him. Atsumu brings up his hands to cover his face, Hinata can see the corners of his cheeks and his ears are red. “Atsumu?” Who responds by making a malcontent sound in the back of his throat. “How long did you say you had a crush?”

Atsumu’s throat bobs as he swallows and his hands are still covering his face “Awhile” He says plaintively.

“Since you were a teenager?” Hinata asks, brow furrowing. Atsumu makes a sound that Hinata takes as an affirmative “This whole time, continuously?”

Atsumu doesn’t respond for a minute, before his head nods once and he looks off to the side, hand still covering his mouth as he refuses to meet Hinata’s eyes.

For Hinata’s part he’s just staring in horror. One, he hadn’t even realized this whole time because he was an oblivious idiot. And two, he is now flipping through every inconsiderate and selfish boy crazy thing he’d ever done in front of Atsumu since he’d joined the Black Jackals. Like openly flirting with Kageyama in their first game against each other. Or draping himself across their locker room bench to complain about his boy problems. Or ditching a Black Jackals team bonding night out to go make out with a cute bartender. Or demanding Atsumu rescue him from too many handsome dudes who wanted a piece of Hinata at his birthday party last year, and clambering up on his back and demanding to be carried home.

“Oh my god” Hinata says, now pressing his own hands to his face, feeling his eyes water in embarrassment and shame. He drapes himself over the back of the couch, willing the couch to swallow him up please.

“It’s not like it’s embarrassing or something!” Atsumu sounds offended “Ya don’t have to react like that”

Hinata cringes, covering his head with his folded arms as he presses his face into the couch “No it’s not that”

“Then what?”

Hinata feels his skin prickle in shame, he feels too hot right now and it has nothing to do with the bath they’d just taken. He wishes he had known, or had seen it, or something. Because maybe he wouldn’t have necessarily jumped Atsumu, skittish as he was about romantic entanglements on teams, but he’d have been kinder, more thoughtful about his dating life.

Or maybe. Just maybe he’d have done something about it, and stopped trying to repress his feelings for Atsumu so hard. He’d found him so fascinating and cool in high school, but part of him had understood then that Atsumu was kind of untouchable, out of his reach and not for Hinata. And he’d been okay with that. And then he’d joined the team and the two of them just fit each other so well. Matching one another’s passion and zeal, both of them working hard endlessly, periodically reminding the other to take care of themselves.

He’d never had a partnership like the one he had with Atsumu, where they truly felt like equals, making up for each other’s deficiencies. Atsumu didn’t mind that Hinata could be a self satisfied little asshole sometimes, because that’s what Atsumu was all the time. And Hinata was one of few people who actually got to see the Atsumu’s good natured self deprecation he used to process strong feelings. Hinata had always been willing to say he loved his friends, that he loved his teammates, but he’d had so much trouble over the years particularly singling out Atsumu, because he’d never just loved Atsumu like a friend or like a teammate.

And he’s treated Atsumu so unkindly over the years, being so selfish just because he felt he couldn’t have him. He let out a shaky breath, pushing to a stand, face feeling hot. His expression is probably too severe based on the wary look Atsumu is giving him, but that’s okay “I’ve liked you for a very long time too” His eyebrows were pinched and he wonders if maybe he looks like he was issuing a challenge.

He must of been because Atsumu’s expression pinches too “Yeah, well I’ve liked you more for longer”

And Hinata glowers up at him “That’s not true, I told you about the magazine thing with your picture, I didn’t mention how long I kept that picture” Why is he being competitive about this?

Atsumu is giving him his best smug smirk “That’s cute, ya little perv, but ya ain’t got nothin’ on me”

Hinata scowls “Or how much I’ve been mooning after you since I joined the team”

Atsumu tilts his head up, looking down his nose at Hinata, the self satisfied bastard “Yeah, well I’ve literally watched every game you ever played in high school multiple times”

Hinata snorts, not believing him “Yeah, okay Atsumu” How on earth could he have possibly watched every one of Hinata’s Karasuno games?

Atsumu quirks his jaw, before his smug grin returns “I’ll prove it to ya” And he brushes past Hinata to walk towards the basement door. He looks over his shoulder “Ya coming?”

Hinata, who has not been allowed in the basement for the near two months they’ve been living together, scampers to follow Atsumu, eyebrows high on his forehead. They make their way down the concrete steps into the cool and dusty basement. Hinata soaks in every detail that he can. The place is full of boxes and dust and shelving units on the wall. There’s some old bikes and a bit of sporting equipment that looks like it’s from the 80s but otherwise Hinata doesn’t see any reason why he hadn’t been allowed down here, outside of it just being kind of musty with little room to move.

A bunch of boxes in shelving units with “Hatori” written on the sides, likely old things that used to belong to Atsumu’s uncle. There’s a table near the back wall with boxes stacked on it with “Atsumu” written on the sides. Atsumu is currently rifling through those.

Hinata stands near his shoulder, watching him open and close boxes, on the hunt for something, when Atsumu finally makes a pleased sound. Tugging the box down and setting it in front of Hinata. When he opens it there’s an old VCR and underneath that are piles and piles of video tapes and DVDs. Hinata picks one up and reads the label out loud.

“Karasuno v. Johzenji, 2012” He blinks, tipping his head up to Atsumu in confusion.

“Ah, that’s one of my favorites. That’s the one where you saved a bad recieve and leapt off the wall like a superhero or something” Hinata is gaping at him with his mouth open, but Atsumu is just rubbing at his chin thoughtfully, before pulling out more tapes and CDs. He picks up a DVD labelled ‘Spring Nationals Bronze Medal Final, 2015’ and taps it “Watching this one kinda convinced me that I’d die if I never got to play with you”

The final, where Karasuno had gotten third in the nation in Hinata’s final game of high school. The last time he’d stood on the court with Kageyama and Tsukishima and Tadashi at his side. He’d been determined to have so much fun that game, it was going to be their last together, so he was going to have the best time in his life if he could. He remembers laughingly giving Tsukishima a high five after they executed a perfect block together. Picking Tadashi up after his third service ace to win them the second set, guaranteeing them just a bit more time on the court for the third. He remembers crying happy tears with his teammates, even Kageyama getting a bit misty, when they’d won.

Hinata’s mouth is gaping open as he stares at the label and then back up at Atsumu, whose expression has gotten a bit pinched. “But this was after you’d already graduated” Hinata says, poking the DVD case.

Atsumu flushes a bit, but shrugs “I’d already made my hobby collecting Karasuno games, it made sense to collect the whole set” The whole set of games featuring Hinata. “I told you, I had a big messy crush and I didn’t know how to talk to you like a normal person so instead I focused on yer volleyball playing” He gives Hinata a sidelong look “It’s real freaky how good ya got over the course of a season in your first year”

Hinata is staring at the box in open mouthed wonder. Atsumu had watched all of these games. Every single one of them. He’d never said anything. Hinata finds his eyes watering a bit again as he looks up at Atsumu “I’ve treated you so unfairly” He wibbles, biting at his lip.

“What?” Atsumu squawks, waving his hands around “No, that’s not- I was proving a point, but maybe this is creepy. It’s creepy isn’t it, is that why you’re crying?” He’s grabbing Hinata by the shoulders, his expression nervous.

Hinata just shakes his head, sniffing “No, no. I’m-” He takes a deep breath collecting himself “I didn’t know how you felt all this time, and I think I treated you really badly, not thinking about your feelings, and I’m sorry. To have put you through all of my romantic drama when you’ve been-” He gestures at the box of Karasuno games. He doesn’t know how to articulate what it means to him that Atsumu has followed his career so closely, has watched him grow, wanted to play with, and wants to keep playing with him. It’s a lot.

* * *

  
_Hinata walks in for his first practice with the Black Jackals, a spring in his step, feeling absolutely giddy that he’d finally managed to make it this far. Try-outs had been challenging, but he’d breezed through it, determined to get here. To play with greats. He greeted everyone already warming up, chatting with his new captain Meian when a voice sounds from behind them._

_“Hey! It’s Ninja Shouyou! Here for his first practice” Atsumu calls waving at the group of them as he heads into the locker room to get changed. Hinata watches him confused, as do the rest of the team, never having heard that nickname before._

_Hinata approaches Atsumu later while he’s doing his stretches “Uh, hey Atsumu-san?”_

_Atsumu perks right up and smiles at him “What’s up Shouyou-kun?”_

_Hinata licks his lips, and feels goofy asking this, just like how he always does when people call him his nickname to his face “I was just wondering, how you knew about that nickname?” He wonders if maybe Bokuto had told him, but he’d promised he’d try to keep Hinata’s beach volleyball nickname on the downlow. He didn’t want people thinking he was arrogant or something._

_“Ninja Shouyou?” Hinata nods “That’s what they called you in Brazil didn’t they?”_

_“Uh, yeah, but how did you know that?”_

_Atsumu pulls himself to his feet, lopsided grin on his face “‘Cause I watched your beach volleyball games, of course”_

_And Hinata stares at him wide eyed for a moment before a grin splits his face “Really?” A flush of pride and wonder and delight is burning in his chest and he wants to ask so many questions and based on the expression on Atsumu’s face it looks like he’d be happy to answer._

* * *

Atsumu sighs “When you love something, it’s best to let it fly free, right? Not try and choke and hold it down all to yourself” And then his face is an explosion of red as he realizes what he’s just said. Hinata blushes right back. They stand staring at each other for what feels like an eternity, before Hinata finally closes his eyes and sighs, and takes a step forward to loop his arms around Atsumu’s waist.

“I love you too”

And Atsumu is staring at him with an open mouthed blank expression on his face before his brows knit together “Really?” Hinata nods at him, and then a grin is splitting his face and he’s wrapping Hinata into his arms “Oh thank fuck” He mumbles into Hinata’s shoulder, making him laugh “I love you a lot” Atsumu says softly.

“I love you more” Hinata says neutrally and bites at his lip to keep from grinning when Atsumu pulls back to scowl down at him, a competitive light in his eyes.

“Fuck you, ya don’t” Atsumu slaps his box of Karasuno tapes “I clearly love you more”

Hinata sighs, wrinkling his nose “Maybe creepily” He turns to walk back towards the stairs throwing over his shoulder airily “I didn’t hit on you for almost three years for fear of losing you, so really who’s suffered more?”

Atsumu is stomping up after him “You’ve suffered!? You’ve obviously never had to listen to yourself while you’ve been pining after another dude, waiting for him to text you, because lemme tell you about true suffering!”

They bicker all the way back upstairs, still throwing jibes even as Hinata straddles Atsumu in his bed, pinning him to the mattress planning on taking his fill of the man he loves, and who loves him right back.

\--

They’re in the back garden doing overhand passes, alternating into spikes and receives but they’re being kind of lazy about it all things told. The problem with practicing in a space smaller than Hinata’s tiny little apartment, even if it’s outdoors, is that neither of them get to try anything new or interesting. Hinata and Atsumu were all about trying new and interesting things, and no matter how much they liked to divert themselves in each other’s bodies, they always circled back around to volleyball.

They’d tried playing in a park not too far from Atsumu’s place a few times, once early in the morning, but a police officer had shown up to scold them for breaking quarantine. They’d tried late into the evening only to have a woman walking her dogs come to scold them too, so they’d stuck to the back garden for the better part of two months now.

“Our timing is going to be off so bad when we finally get back to the court” Hinata whined, hitting the ball maybe a bit too hard. Atsumu received it but it ricocheted high, Hinata leapt up to grab the ball just before it managed to sail over the garden wall. They’d lost numerous balls in this exact fashion already.

“Maybe we start practicing in the street in the middle of the night?” Atsumu offered, bumping Hinata’s overhand toss back.

“Too dark and your neighbours might report us”

“Maybe we could just break into the gym, no one should be around.”

Hinata paused, catching the ball and pursing his lips at Atsumu “That’s a crime” Atsumu just shrugsgesturing for Hinata to continue but he held out a moment longer, squinting his eyes “Buuuut....”

Atsumu straightened his stance, cocking his head “But?”

Hinata shook his head “No, we can’t”

“Were you just willing to break the law for volleyball?” Atsumu asked, judgement free, teasing grin on his face.

Hinata huffed “No. Maybe. We shouldn’t, it’s fine. We have our own practice balls, we can finally set up that net, we’ll be fine”

“Sounds like yer trying to convince yourself more than me” Atsumu pointed out to him, gesturing for him to pass the ball. Hinata did and they passed the ball back and forth a few times more before Atsumu added “For the record, I’d be down to do a crime with you”

Hinata snorted “For volleyball?”

“For volleyball” Atsumu agreed with a grin.

They continued passing back and forth for a while longer, before they both got restless and Atsumu demanded to give him a proper set and Hinata of course said yes. And when he leapt up and spiked the ball against the wooden fence of the garden, the ball bounced at just the wrong angle, ricocheting off, and impaling itself on a tree branch. Both of them clutched at their faces in horror, Atsumu cradling the now flat ball in his arms as they mourned the loss of yet another soldier.

Placing the dead ball on the veranda Hinata sighed looking at Atsumu “Guess we should go grab another one?” Atsumu nodded, trotting inside to the garage where they stored their extra balls. Hinata sat beside the dead ball giving it a forlorn pat, apologizing to it for it’s short life, wishing it luck in volleyball heaven, when pounding footsteps made their way back outside.

“Everything okay?” He asked, looking up at Atsumu’s stricken face.

“There’s none left” Atsumu wheezed.

Hinata frowned “Hmm?”

“We’re out of volleyballs” And with those words Hinata felt his heart stutter to a stop.

“That’s not possible” And he stood, brushing past Atsumu to run upstairs and dig through the room that he hadn’t slept in, in two weeks, that only really held his clothes now, digging through containers and baskets, coming up empty. He met Atsumu at the base of the stairs. Both of them wide eyed and looking on the verge of panic as they stared at one another in mute horror.

So far during the pandemic they’d managed to achieve a pretty good equilibrium in terms of freakouts. Atsumu was afraid of bugs, so Hinata, Mr Miyagi Mountain guy, would handle any many legged intruders. Hinata was more susceptible to paranoia and anxiety after watching documentary series or horror movies, and Atsumu had always been good about reassuring him. Or when the grocery store was out of an ingredient Hinata needed, Atsumu was creative about coming up with alternate plans. Even when they’d had the mishap with Hinata helping Atsumu bleach his roots where his hair had gone brassy, Hinata had been collected enough to contact Miwa and beg her for help, and Atsumu had gotten his shit together enough to execute her fixes. But when it came to the prospect of losing volleyball for who knew how long, both of them hit meltdowns fast, neither of them thinking straight.

“Someone has to have an extra ball right?” Hinata asks shrilly, scrolling through his contacts trying to find someone close to them. They’d called around to all the sporting good stores in Tokyo, only to find every single one of them was closed. Atsumu was already on the team group chat, demanding to know if someone has an extra ball they could use.

* * *

**< < Black Jackals [Wolf Emoji] >>**  
**Atsumu** : “Who has a ball we can use? Me and Shou just lost our last one.  
**Inunaki** : “Shou?”  
**Meian** : “Shou???”  
**Sakusa** : [skull emoji]  
**Bokuto** : “DID IT HAPPEN FINALLY?”  
**Hinata** : “Did what happen finally? Also for serious, we need an extra ball like yesterday”  
**Inunaki** : “Is that a euphemism for something?” [4x eggplant emoji]  
**Atsumu** : “Oh my god”  
**Hinata** : “I have no idea what you’re talking about Shion-san. Ball please!”  
**Meian** : “Shou”  
**Bokuto** : “Shou”  
**Inunaki** : “Shou”  
**Sakusa** : “Shou”  
**Tomas** : “Shou”  
**Barnes** : “Shou”  
**Inunaki** : “Shou”  
**Bokuto** : “Shou”  
**Sakusa** : “Shou”  
**Meian** : “Shou”  
**Hinata** : “You’ve embarrassed Atsumu beyond repair! Now who am I going to practice with?”  
**Bokuto** : “Shou”  
**Hinata** : [Knife emoji x10]  
**Hinata** : You guys are jerks!  
**Hinata** : [seven endless pages of sun emoji]  
**Bokuto** : “We’re just real happy for you Shouyou! Please stop spamming us with suns [heart emoji]  
**Hinata** : So no balls?  
**Inunaki** : [eggplant and a fox emoji]  
**Hinata** : [8 endless pages of sun emojis]  
**Meian** : “No balls Hinata-kun, sorry. I’m down to my last one - I’ll be sure to place an order and I’ll get extras for everyone”

* * *

The rest of the chat turned into the others chiming in that yes please they needed some more, and Tomas joked that Meian could drop the balls off at his sister’s house in Germany.

Setting his phone down, Hinata looks over at Atsumu who had curled up on the couch with his cheeks flushed, sulking into his phone. “Even Omi-kun is in on it” he complained to Hinata.

“Haha, I guess I was the only one who didn’t realize you liked me?” Hinata said with an awkward laugh.

Atsumu rolled his eyes at him, still glaring down at his phone. He started typing and then deleting, and then typing again, before he looked like he wanted to spike his phone on the ground. Hinata slid over closer to him and flopped down to put his head on Atsumu’s lap. Atsumu oofed and looked like he was trying not to smile, turning his head away, but his hand came up all the same to brush through Hinata’s hair.

“Hurray for team support?” Hinata asked, plucking at Atsumu’s shirt.

Atsumu pouted down at him, not in the mood to be cheered up “Meian told me a month after you joined the team that there were no formal policies preventing players from dating each other within a team, and as long as we kept personal business off the court he didn’t have a problem with it”

Hinata grimaced, his face flushing. This whole time their team has been waiting for them to get together. And Hinata hadn’t even entertained the idea. Atsumu gently drummed his fingers against Hinata’s scalp, grabbing his attention “Y’know you dating that tall guy with the hair... Energetic like you?”

“Ah, Sou-kun?” They’d had a thing briefly after Hinata had gotten back to Japan, deciding they worked better as friends after a few months.

“Yeah, him. That was the reason me ‘n Omi-kun started getting along so well. He felt bad for me but refused to pity me unlike the rest of the team” Atsumu is wearing a rueful smile as he says it, but it doesn’t stop Hinata from feeling bad.

“Well I’m glad I could help bring you and Omi-san together” Hinata grumbles, looking off to the side, feeling like an embarrassing lump that people like to gossip about.

Atsumu stops stroking his hair and pokes at his cheek “What’re we going to do about volleyballs?”

Hinata pulls out his phone to open his email app. He grimaces “A shipment is expected sometime in 5-12 business days” It’s a Friday.

Atsumu leans back against the couch, clenching his fists, and Hinata flails his arms over his face as they both start cursing and complaining their bad luck and their lack of being careful, and their assumption that the 12 volleyballs they had at the start of quarantine were going to last the whole time. Stupid teammates being stingy with their own volleyballs, aren’t he and Atsumu the team volleyball nuts who don’t know when to quit practicing?? Hinata vividly imagines his spiking ability going down dramatically in the time until he can next touch a ball. He’s worked too hard for too long to lose any of his hard won skills. Steely determination creeps up his spine.

Hinata sits up, turning around and grabbing Atsumu’s hands, pulling them from his face. “Hey, you know what you said earlier about doing crimes for volleyball?” Atsumu looks at him curiously “Wanna commit a crime with me?”

Atsumu knits his brows briefly, before shrugging. He’s always been up for some Hinata shenanigans “Sure!”

\--

Under the cover of darkness two black clad figures cross the vacant parking lot, making their way quickly to the side of the large boxy building. The smaller of the two figures crouches low when they reach a side door, pulling a small bag of tools from the side pocket of his backpack. Unrolling it he pulls out a few long metal pins and hooks and sets to work on the locked door.

“Uwah, you really are like a Ninja”

“Shush, you’re going to get us caught”

A few more seconds and the lock clicks, disengaged. The smaller figure pushes the door open and they both wait outside for a minute, waiting for any telltale alarm. When they hear nothing they slip inside, closing the door behind them. The taller figure pulls a flashlight out of his bag, turns it on and starts sauntering down the familiar hallways. The smaller black clad man crouches low and unlocks the door to the room labeled ‘Security and Maintenance’, both of them heading inside.

Atsumu tugs his black face mask down and pulls his hoodie back as they pause the security cameras filming the gymnasium, giving his partner in crime a grin “What’d I tell you? The service door doesn’t have the security sensor enabled because the night time cleaning guy used to take smoke breaks out there”

“Yes, yes, the perfect crime” Hinata says, revealing his own bright orange hair and self satisfied smile, tugging his facemask off and stuffing it into a pocket “I don’t know how Omi-san can wear his facemask all the time. It’s so stuffy” He wipes at his sweaty mouth. Atsumu bends, tugging Hinata’s hand away from his face and giving him a dirty, licking kiss. Hinata kisses back but when they pull away he rolls his eyes “You really do find the weirdest things sexy” And grabs the flashlight to guide them to the main gymnasium.

Atsumu trots after him, draping his arms over Hinata’s shoulders, pressing a kiss behind his ear “Nah, just everything about you” He slides a hand down and pinches at the seam between Hinata’s black hoodie and sweatpants.

Hinata swats him away “So frisky, we have a job to do” and continues walking down the corridor, passing the sauna, the medical room, the training facility. Almost to the locker room now, and from there, the gym.

“You were right about them not checking the building often. Didja see the sign in sheet for the security guard? He’s only been here three times in the last two months” Atsumu says with a shake of his head.

“It’s not like people are out and about to do crimes during quarantine ‘Tsumu .” Hinata tells him, pushing into the locker room. It doesn’t have that fresh sweat smell it usually does, the air feeling a bit stagnant in the windowless room, but it feels like home all the same.

“Except us” Atsumu chirps, reaching forward to goose Hinata’s butt, who just laughs at him, heading for the gymnasium door.

He opens the door to the main gym and takes a deep breath in “Ahhh, still smells like Icy Hot and sweat” He spins with his arms out, now getting giddy himself “This is my favorite smell in the world” He coos. He kind of feels like doing a whole ‘the hills are alive with the sound of music’ bit, but stops himself lest Atsumu make fun of him for hours afterwards.

“I thought I was your favorite smell” Atsumu half pouts behind him, but Hinata can tell he’s excited to be back here as well, they’ve both missed this place an unbelievable amount.

Hinata had laid out his plan to Atsumu back at the house “We go under the cover of darkness, all dressed in black and break in through the back doors of the gym. That’ll probably trigger an alarm” But he figured it’d take some time for police or security to show up and by that time they’d be long gone with their haul of MSBY Black Jackal Mikasa volleyballs.

Atsumu had nodded, tapping at his chin “What about the service entrance on the side?” He explained that if they could get in through there, he was pretty sure the night cleaner used to take smoke breaks out there, so the security team had disabled that door because of all the false alarms that used to trigger. “We just need to figure out how to break in”

Hinata had given him a thumbs up “Leave it to me” Explaining they’d have to swing by his shoebox to grab a special little something to help. Atsumu had been absolutely agog when Hinata explained that he knew how to pick locks.

“It’s from my time in Brazil. One of the gyms I worked at had a passcode protected key box for the various trainers and coaches used to get in. Because there was only one key, and sometimes people forgot to put it back, I had one of my senpai teach me how to pick locks so I could get in even if the key wasn’t there” Hinata shrugged.

Atsumu had wrapped him into a hug, picking him up, before grunting and setting him back down. He always forgot how heavy Hinata actually was. Just because he was small didn’t he wasn’t dense with muscle. Atsumu peppered his face with kisses “I really am dating a Ninja” He laughed, making Hinata snort.

The plan had been simple. Leave after midnight under the cover of darkness, bike to the Black Jackals gym (Atsumu’s house was a half hour train ride to the gym, but they figured analogue means of travel would be less conspicuous), get into the building and ‘borrow’ some volleyballs so they could continue their practice until their large volleyball order arrived. So far it was going off without a hitch.

Hinata approached the net posts which were still lodged into the floor, just waiting for a net to be strung up between them. He patted one, stroking his fingers down it. This was the longest extended period since he’d joined Karasuno’s team in his first year that he hadn’t been in a gym on a court. As much as he’d enjoyed his time with Atsumu, especially since they’d admitted their feelings to one another, a big part of him had been yearning for this place. He glanced over at Atsumu, looking at where the net ought to be, a wistful expression on his face. He felt it too. That fact didn’t make it ache less, but it was nice to know Hinata wasn’t alone in this feeling.

Hinata walked over to him, threading their fingers together “C’mon, let’s grab what we came for” Atsumu gave him a smile, and allowed himself to be led to the storage room. When they opened the door they both sighed regretfully at their time in the gym almost being up, before looking at each other and laughing a bit. They were being ridiculous about this.

Hinata dug out the duffel bags they’d folded into the small backpack, shaking them out and handed one to Atsumu. They could probably stow 4-5 balls in each bag which should definitely last them until their shipment arrived. They quietly stuffed the balls into their bags, Hinata hopping up on the stack of mats in the corner, dangling and kicking his legs childishly while he waited for Atsumu to stop mooning over the folded nets hanging on the wall.

“We could set one of these up you know” Atsumu said casually, not looking at Hinata.

“It’s too dark to play right now Tsumu, and we can’t turn on the gym lights otherwise people will know there’s someone in here who shouldn’t be” Hinata chided gently, as much as he’d like to. God would he love to. He’d give anything to have the full span of the court to play on, to spike with, to do recieves on. To hit a real one of Atsumu’s tosses.

Atsumu considered that a moment before he tilted his head “What time is sunrise?”

“4:30, 5ish?” Hinata responded with a shrug.

“And what time is it now?”

“3:30, woof, I would have thought I’d be a lot more tired” Hinata laughed, he was still feeling pretty giddy. He could probably easily convince Atsumu to draw the curtains in the bedroom and the both of them could snooze the rest of the morning away when they got back.

“So if we kill an hour and a bit, it might be light enough that we don’t have to worry about people noticing the gym being lit up?” Atsumu asked, still casual as he made his way slowly towards Hinata.

Hinata blinked, before his mind caught up with his implication “Atsumu” He warned without any real heat. Atsumu was standing in front of him now, between Hinata’s legs, their pelvis’ aligned perfectly. Heat curled up his stomach at the lazy grin Atsumu was giving him.

“‘Yknow, I always wanted to make out with you in the storage room Shouyou” He hummed, leaning forward so their lips were centimeter’s apart “Best part is, if we do it now, we don’t have to worry about the creepy voyeuristic part of that fantasy, it’s not like anyone’s going to find us in here”

Hinata pinched his brows together, trying very hard to keep the heated fog from overwhelming his thoughts. It was very hard with Atsumu standing there between his legs, hands pressed into the mats, bracketed on either side of Hinata’s hips, breathing in each other’s breaths, their lips were so close. Stupid sexy Atsumu... They needed to get out of here, they could do this at home.

“Wanna know about my other fantasy in the gym?” Atsumu practically fucking purred. Hinata’s eyelashes fluttered which was all the encouragement Atsumu needed “I’ve always wanted you to fuck me in the showers, after everyone else has left” Hinata releases a harsh breath, and starts gnawing at his lip, trying to maintain his composure but he can definitely feel himself getting hard.

Atsumu tilts his head, his lazy grin turning smug, knowing he has Hinata right where he wants him “But most of all I’ve wanted you to hit my tosses after you’ve come in me”

“Fuck it” and like that Hinata’s restraint shatters and he’s tugging Atsumu to press up against him, sealing their mouths together, working their tongue against each other as Atsumu threads a hand into Hinata’s hair, the other massaging his upper thigh through his sweatpants. Hinata is trying desperately to get Atsumu’s hoodie off of him, while still somehow keeping their mouths attached.

Something shifts beneath them and the mats start tumbling over, sliding out from under them. Atsumu tries to hook his hands under Hinata’s knees to keep him from falling, but overbalances and both of them find themselves tipped onto the ground, dozens of mats strewn about them. Atsumu ends up pinned to the ground, Hinata on top of them, surveying the carnage around them.

“We should probably clean this up” Hinata says, bending down to suck Atsumu’s lip into his mouth, worrying it with his teeth.

Atsumu groans, his hands gripping Hinata’s hips tightly “Mhmm, yeah” Hinata brushes his lips over Atsumu jaw before placing licking kisses at his neck “Maybe after the shower thing?” He says around a sigh.

Hinata leans up, pressing their noses together and squinting down at Atsumu “We didn’t bring lube”

“You didn’t bring lube”

Hinata rolls his eyes, sitting up to look down at his boyfriend with an irritated affection “You complained to me earlier that we weren’t bringing enough duffel bags to bring more balls home, and you still brought lube”

Atsumu is wearing his most self satisfied smile “Fortune favours the well prepared Shouyou-kun” He has a finger up in the air like he’s lecturing Hinata.

Hinata purses his lips before leaning forward and sucking Atsumu’s whole finger into his mouth, making the man underneath him go cross eyed. When Hinata lets the finger go with a wet pop he gives Atsumu a heated gaze. “So what was that about fucking you in the showers?”

Atsumu is already rolling forward, pushing the two of them into a stand, bending to lift Hinata up, he only grunts a bit at the weight, and carries Hinata to out of the storage room and towards the locker room. “Yup, this is going to be fuckin’ awesome”

Hinata just laughs, draping himself more comfortably over Atsumu’s shoulders, and reaches an arm down to slap at Atsumu’s butt, who makes a pleased sound. Oh yes, very fun indeed.

\--

When it’s all said and done, and after they’ve had a long cuddle with lots of slow and lazy kisses in the med room on one of the cots in there, they finally make their way out to the gym. It’s light enough now, that the sunrise is streaming into the high windows of the main gymnasium. They’re both confident the overhead lights won’t be bright enough to be seen from the outside. They hang the net, both of them vibrating in anticipation.

With the court set up both of them lineup, Hinata having stripped off his hoodie down to his tank top underneath. Atsumu likewise stands in a dark t-shirt closer to the net. Hinata tosses the ball up, Atsumu getting into his stance and then Hinata takes off towards the net. Their timing is a bit off, Hinata swinging too soon, Atsumu sending the ball faster than he would normally, both of them over eager. But the resounding smack of the ball inbounds on the court is so bone deep satisfying that they both just grin at each other and line up again.

Once they find their rhythm again, and it happens quickly, they get lost in endless combos. It’s only when Hinata lands a beautiful cut shot straight down, landing on his feet, about to shout his junilation when his stomach makes a loud gurgling sound. Atsumu laughs and jogs over to where they’ve stashed their bags and hoodies.

“Holy shit, it’s almost 11am” Atsumu says looking down at his phone in shock. They’ve been at the gym for almost 8 hours now, at least half of which was spent setting and spiking.

Hinata burbles a near hysterical laugh, because of course he and Atsumu would go too hard for too long the first time they got back on the court. He wanders over to Atsumu, looping his arms around his waist. They’re both sweaty and exhausted and starving and he doesn’t think either of them have ever been so happy. “Let’s go home and get something to eat, and then we sleeeeeeeeep” He says, knocking his forehead into Atsumu’s shoulder.

Atsumu just laughs “We need to clean up first though”

Hinata squirms, scrunching up his face, which has the added bonus of making Atsumu laugh, before he lets out a sigh “Fine we should definitely pick up the balls and put away the cart, and the mats from before. But,” And then he raises his eyebrows casually “maybe we leave the net out?”

Atsumu is looking at him curiously. Hinata shrugs “It’s just I’m sooo tired, and I’d really like to go home” Looking at Atsumu through his eyelashes “And if we leave the net up, we’ll have to come back to put it away sometime”

Atsumu’s face splits into a grin, before he tempers it and nods sagely “You’re absolutely right Shouyou, it’s not safe for us to take that down when we’re so tired. It’d be best to come back another night to finish it up”

Hinata makes a pleased sound squeezes Atsumu tight “I love you, you know that?” Hinata asks him, his stomach doing giddy little kick flips as his heart feels warm and glowy. As tired as he is, he’s pretty sure he could watch the radiant smile bloom across Atsumu’s face every day for the rest of his life.

“Yeah, but I love you more” And then Atsumu captures his lips in a nice sweet kiss, that’s not as nice as usual because both of them are smiling like smitten idiots, but that’s okay, Hinata is more than happy to practice more at home with Atsumu.

\--

In the end Hinata and Atsumu forget to put the net away 31 more times before it is officially announced that the vleague practices can begin again. Their season was now long since over, a champion never declared, but all the teams of Division 1 looked forward to their upcoming fall season.

At the first practice back all of the rest of the Black Jackals marvelled at how sharp and on their game Hinata and Atsumu were, both of them playing like they hadn’t last had practice four months ago. Everyone was still in good condition, training being one of the few things they could all do to wile away their quarantine time. But Hinata and Atsumu still had excellent reflexes and timing, their quick maybe even faster than before. And was it just their imagination or was Hinata even better at setting than he’d been before their long break?

“Shouyou gave me a virtual tour of Atsumu’s house, they had a net set up in the back garden” Bokuto said to the others, rubbing at his chin as they all watched Hinata execute a perfect broad attack off a beautiful set from Atsumu. Bokuto had been trying to find the rhythm for his jumps again, finding rebounds and block outs harder than they’d ever been for him before.

Meian shrugged “If they’re battle ready that’s all the better for us, isn’t it?” He was taking things in stride, something he’d learned to do looking after a toddler and new baby while his wife tried to work from home.

Sakusa was watching them with a narrowed gaze “There’s no way that tiny net and yard led to this. Shouyou-san is too aware of the whole court, and Miya is still doing his back tosses like they’re nothing” He pressed his lips together “Something fishy is going on” Sakusa, who had Komori living with him, had practiced daily for hours on the small private rooftop patio attached to his apartment. Sakusa was doing better than most everyone on his team in terms of condition and rust, but he was miles behind where Atsumu and Hinata were.

Inunaki was watching the pair with a grin “Maybe this is the power of love?”

Sakusa made a disgusted noise and left the group of spectators to go probe his teammates for how exactly they were still so good. Hinata and Atsumu were discussing some changes to make to the last hit when Sakusa stopped across from them. His eyes taking in all the details he could find, trying to suss out what was going on. Outside of the gross hickey Atsumu’s practice jersey barely covered on his collarbone, there didn’t seem to be anything off. Perhaps they stood closer together than before, their heads bowed together, though it wasn’t much different from before. Maybe Atsumu was no longer the only one giving the other mooning doe eyed looks anymore. Gross.

“Hey Omi-san! Isn’t it great to be back with everyone?” Hinata beamed at him “Do you want to get some spiking practice in? Sorry for hogging Atsumu’s time” He gave a bashful grin. Atsumu was looking at Hinata like he didn’t mind one whit. Disgusting.

“How are you both playing so well?” Sakusa asked, gaze narrowed

Atsumu laughed dismissively “Omi-Omi, you have the strangest way of complimenting people. I need some water” and then walked away brushing his hand along Hinata’s shoulder (yuck). He wandered over to the rest of the team, leaving Sakusa and Hinata alone.

Hinata was wearing a fond expression as he watched Atsumu go (ugh) and then he flicked his eyes up to Sakusa “You okay?”

Sakusa gave Hinata an assessing once over, trying to catch anything amiss with his friend to no avail. He breathed a sigh “Have you decided what you’re going to do about your shoebox?” Sakusa had always thought that had been a cutesy name for what was essentially a large closet with an unhygienic bathroom situation, but Hinata deserved some of his respect, sometimes.

Hinata blinked, before he grinned “Yeah, I got rid of it last month, I was month to month on it so it was easy” He said brightly.

Now it was Sakusa’s turn to blink. He was glad to hear it but, “Where are you staying now?”

Hinata flicked a glance over to Atsumu’s back, before looking back at Sakusa “Oh you know, finally found the exact type of place I was looking for” And he gave a big grin, his face flushing in happiness. Sakusa was pretty sure he was going to die from Atsumu and Hinata being sugary sweet together. They’d better finish with the goopy squishy part of their romance soon or Sakusa would quit volleyball and pursue a career in his degree instead. To hell with them.

Sakusa rolled his eyes “How nice for you” And he almost meant it but Hinata smiled all the same.

Atsumu was wandering back, spinning a ball in his hands “Oi, Shouyou-kun, one more toss?” His normal competitive grin going soft around the edge with, fondness? Bleck.

Hinata gave him an eager nod, pumping his fists “One more toss!” before scampering back to line up.

Sakusa walked off the court frowning. Why was it that ‘one more toss’, when spoken by those two idiots, had a similar cadence to ‘I love you’? This upcoming season was going to be the longest of Sakusa’s life. He just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and coming along for the ride on this extremely self-indulgent quarantine fic. May we all find a bounty of AtsuHina content that we're all looking for <3
> 
> Stay safe and stay healthy! 
> 
> Ps - I will never apologize for using Sakusa as the straight man at the end of my fic to land a joke. You can't make me.
> 
> Come yell with me about HQ! at my new writing twitter: [@boomturkeyao3](https://twitter.com/boomturkeyao3)


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